glial cell

American  

[glee-uhl sel, glahy-uhl] / ˈgli əl ˌsɛl, ˈglaɪ əl /

noun

glial cells plural

1. Anatomy. any of the cells forming the tissue that supports and insulates the neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

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glial cell Scientific  

/ glē′əl,glī′əl /

1. Any of the cells making up the glia, such as the star-shaped cells called astrocytes.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• glial cellular
  adjective
• glial-cell
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• glial cells
  plural

Example Sentences

Surrounding the node of Ranvier is a glial cell called an astrocyte.

From Scientific American • Mar. 12, 2020

The injuries that trigger epilepsy are often associated with an inflammatory response in the brain, and mounting evidence suggests that astrocytes and other glial cell types are central to this process.

From Nature • Jul. 8, 2014

The glial cell is wrapped around the axon several times with little to no cytoplasm between the glial cell layers.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The second type of glial cell is the Schwann cell, which insulate axons with myelin in the periphery.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Glial cells play a largely supportive role, protecting and nourishing neurons, but a type of glial cell known as an oligodendrocyte is also responsible for producing myelin.

From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2012