Definition
Neuroglia cells (glia) are supporting cells in the nervous system. The number of glia exceeds neurons by at least 10 to 1. Glia cells provide physical, metabolic, and trophic support for neurons and maintain structural integrity of the nervous system.
Historical Background
The name “neuroglia” was first introduced by the pathologist Rudolf Virchow in 1854 to describe a second cell type in the brain functioning as “glue” to bind the nerve cells together. Glia is known as “glue” in Greek.
Current Knowledge
Types of Neuroglia
In the nerves system, there are two major classes of glial cells, macroglia and microgliabased on origin. Macroglia are originated from neuroepithelium of ectodermal. In the central nervous system (CNS), macroglial cells include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, NG2 cells (nerve/glial antigen 2 expressing cells), and ependymal cells. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), Schwann cells and satellite cells are the major macroglia cell types. Microglia in the...
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Sun, D. (2016). Neuroglia. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_341-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_341-3
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