Knowra Astrocyte Astrocyte An astrocyte is a star-shaped glial cell in the central nervous system. It regulates the local chemical environment, supports synapses, and helps maintain the blood–brain barrier.
Tripartite synapse : A synapse comprising a presynaptic neuron, a postsynaptic neuron, and an associated astrocyte process. It describes how astrocytes participate directly in the local environment of synaptic transmission.
Glial cell : A non-neuronal cell in nervous tissue that supports, protects, or regulates neural function. Astrocytes belong to the broad family of central and peripheral nervous system glia.
Reactive astrogliosis : A set of changes in astrocyte gene expression, structure, and function after central nervous system injury or disease. It is a common astrocyte response to insults such as trauma, infection, and neurodegeneration.
Oligodendrocyte : A central nervous system glial cell that forms myelin around axons. Unlike astrocytes, oligodendrocytes specialize in insulating axons with myelin.
Astrocyte heterogeneity : Variation among astrocytes in molecular profiles, shapes, and functions across brain regions and states. It challenges the idea that one astrocyte model applies uniformly throughout the nervous system.
Glutamate uptake : The transport of glutamate from extracellular space into cells by specialized membrane transporters. Astrocytes clear released glutamate, limiting spillover and excitotoxicity.
Central nervous system : The brain and spinal cord, which integrate sensory information and coordinate bodily functions. Astrocytes are glia of this nervous-system division, unlike peripheral glial cells.
Astrocytoma : A glioma whose tumor cells have features associated with astrocytes. This tumor links astrocyte biology to cancers of the central nervous system.
Microglia : Resident immune cells of the central nervous system that survey tissue and respond to injury or infection. Microglia are the brain's immune sentinels, whereas astrocytes chiefly regulate tissue conditions and support circuits.
Gliotransmission : The proposed release of signaling molecules by glial cells to influence neuronal communication. The extent and physiological importance of astrocyte-to-neuron transmitter signaling remain debated.
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