Glia

Glia are non-neuronal cells of the nervous system that support, protect, and regulate neurons. They also shape neural signaling, maintain tissue conditions, and participate in immune defense.

Astrocyte: A star-shaped glial cell that regulates the neural environment and interacts with neurons and blood vessels. Astrocytes coordinate nutrient delivery, ion balance, and synaptic activity in the central nervous system.
Myelin: A lipid-rich insulating material wrapped around many axons by glial cells. Myelin speeds action-potential conduction and is produced by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells.
Multiple sclerosis: An immune-mediated disease in which damage to central nervous system myelin disrupts neural function. The disease illustrates the consequences of myelin damage and oligodendrocyte loss.
Rudolf Virchow: A German physician and pathologist who introduced the term neuroglia in the nineteenth century. Virchow named the supportive material he believed surrounded nervous elements.
Neuron–glia interactions: The reciprocal signaling and functional relationships between neurons and glial cells. These interactions frame current efforts to understand glia as active regulators of neural circuits.
Oligodendrocyte: A central nervous system cell that forms myelin around axons. Oligodendrocytes insulate multiple axons, enabling rapid electrical signaling.
Saltatory conduction: The rapid propagation of action potentials along myelinated axons, with signal regeneration at nodes of Ranvier. Myelin enables impulses to travel efficiently between exposed gaps in an axon.
Leukodystrophy: A group of inherited disorders that impair the growth or maintenance of central nervous system white matter. Many leukodystrophies arise from defects in myelin or the cells that produce it.
Camillo Golgi: An Italian physician and scientist who developed a silver-staining method for nervous tissue. Golgi’s staining revealed glial forms as well as neurons.
Astrocyte calcium signaling: Changes in calcium concentration within astrocytes that can influence their cellular activity and signaling. How these signals affect neural computation and behavior remains an active research question.

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