neuroglia
Meaning of neuroglia: Neuroglia are the supportive cells of the nervous system that surround, nourish, and protect nerve cells rather than transmitting signals themselves.
Definition of neuroglia
Neuroglia, commonly called glial cells, are the supporting cells of the nervous system that surround and maintain nerve cells, called neurons, without directly transmitting electrical signals the way neurons do. Neuroglia outnumber neurons in much of the nervous system and perform a variety of essential supporting roles.
Different types of neuroglia serve different functions. Oligodendrocytes and, in the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells, form an insulating layer around nerve fibers called myelin, astrocytes provide structural support and help regulate the chemical environment around neurons, microglia act as the immune defense cells of the nervous system, and ependymal cells line the fluid filled spaces within the brain.
Because neuroglia support nearly every aspect of how neurons function and survive, damage to these supporting cells can impair nervous system function even when the neurons themselves remain intact, a relationship studied in a number of neurological conditions.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Neuroglia surrounding the affected nerve fibers showed changes on microscopic examination of the tissue sample.
Good to know
Neuroglia support and maintain neurons but do not themselves transmit nerve signals, a distinction that separates their supportive role from the signaling role that defines a neuron.
Word origin
Where “neuroglia” comes from
Formed from Greek neuron, meaning nerve, and glia, meaning glue, describing the supportive role these cells play around neurons.