astrocyte

[as-truh-sahyt]

noun

Cell Biology.

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

astrocyte

/ ˈæstrəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

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

astrocyte

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

Other Word Forms

• astrocytic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of astrocyte¹

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

Example Sentences

When the team increased the amount of Sox9, a protein that influences many astrocyte functions during aging, the cells became more effective at removing amyloid deposits.

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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.

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Now, researchers at Tohoku University have monitored astrocyte activity using fluorescence calcium sensors, discovering that astrocyte activity starts approximately 20 seconds before the onset of epileptic neuronal hyperactivity.

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Windham and Cohen hypothesize that the altered composition of the lipid droplets could be causing astrocyte dysfunction and affecting the microglia's ability to clear amyloid beta.

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The researchers first identified that CDKL5 is active in nerve cells in mice but not in another type of brain cell called an astrocyte.

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