astrocyte

American  

[as-truh-sahyt] / ˈæs trəˌsaɪt /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a star-shaped neuroglial cell of ectodermal origin.

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astrocyte British  

/ ˈæstrəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

1. any of the star-shaped cells in the tissue supporting the brain and spinal cord (neuroglia)

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astrocyte Scientific  

/ ăs′trə-sīt′ /

1. A star-shaped cell, especially one of the glial cells that support the tissue of the central nervous system.

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Other Word Forms

• astrocytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of astrocyte

First recorded in 1895–1900; astro- + -cyte

Example Sentences

The protective benefits suggested that strong astrocyte engagement may help slow the cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative disease.

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2025

When the team administered the S3QEL compound to mice engineered to model frontotemporal dementia, they observed reduced astrocyte activation, lower levels of inflammatory gene expression, and a decrease in a tau modification linked to dementia.

From Science Daily • Nov. 6, 2025

This triggered conversion of all three types of astrocyte to neurons.

From Nature • Jun. 23, 2020

The thickness of the myelin sheath is not fixed; instead it reflects a dynamic balance between the addition of layers next to the axon and removal of the outer layer under control of the astrocyte.

From Scientific American • Mar. 12, 2020

Another cell called an astrocyte sits alongside the axon.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015