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

Their attention centered on Sox9, a protein that influences a wide network of genes involved in astrocyte aging.

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2025

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

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

Here, there are tight junctions and no intercellular clefts, plus a thick basement membrane and astrocyte extensions called end feet; these structures combine to prevent the movement of nearly all substances.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013