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

When astrocyte signaling was disrupted, neurons struggled to form the normal activity patterns linked to fear.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

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.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

Matsui and his team observed these events, where they discovered that astrocyte activity may be the trigger for neuronal hyperactivity.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

The researchers noticed that such a stimulation induced a robust increase in the astrocyte calcium, which was followed by an epileptic neuronal hyperactivity episode.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

Using this method, Tsai and Murdock's team saw that gamma sensory stimulation indeed promoted changes consistent with increased astrocyte AQP4 activity.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024