Mind Alive Blog
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Glia (Glue) of the Brain
I was asked to post the an article about Glia cells in the brain. Because I decided to take chemistry instead of neuroscience my knowledge of glia cells is practically non-existent; however, thanks to the Internet I have found a site called Neuroscience for kids.
Types and Functions of Glia
- Astrocyte (Astroglia): Star-shaped cells that provide physical and nutritional support for neurons: 1) clean up brain "debris"; 2) transport nutrients to neurons; 3) hold neurons in place; 4) digest parts of dead neurons; 5) regulate content of extracellular space
- Microglia: Like astrocytes, microglia digest parts of dead neurons.
- Oligodendroglia: Provide the insulation (myelin) to neurons in the central nervous system.
- Satellite Cells: Physical support to neurons in the peripheral nervous system.
- Schwann Cells: Provide the insulation (myelin) to neurons in the peripheral nervous system.
By Melissa Lee Phillips Neuroscience for Kids Consultant May 21, 2002 Nerve cells (neurons) and glial cells (glia) are the two major types of cells present in the nervous system. For many years, glial cells were thought to only support the activities of neurons. Researchers thought that astrocytes -- glial cells named for their star-like appearance -- had only a supportive role in the central nervous system. It is well established that astrocytes help form a network on which neurons grow. Astrocytes fill in the space between neurons, take up neurotransmitters that are released by neurons, and help maintain the correct chemical concentrations around neurons. | ![]() Astrocyte Image courtesy of Biodidac |


Research involving stem cells is promising because it has the potential to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. If scientists can engineer stem cells to grow into neurons -- perhaps involving signals from astrocytes -- they might be able to repair or even prevent damage caused by these diseases.
References:
- Reference: Song, H., Stevens, C.F., and Gage, F.H., "Astroglia induce neurogenesis from adult neural stem cells," Nature, Vol. 417, May 2, 2002, pp. 39-44.
- Svendsen, C.N., "The amazing astrocyte," Nature, Vol. 417, May 2, 2002, pp. 39-44.
Now that you and I have refreshed our understanding of what Glia are here's the article:
"The Glia (glue) cells of the brain have been mistakenly overlooked by neurophysiology. New studies are finding glial cells work with neurons, control them and work alongside them. They provide nourishment, maintain myelin and remove waste. Microglia are the first responders to injury and repair. They are also the brain’s immune system and attack foreign invaders. Glia also handle global communication in the brain. Whereas neurons transmit their signals across chains of synapses, glia can broadcast their signals like radio transmitters. The glia is also thought to actually be “The Mind,” as they show a response on DC brain maps in response to intention and attention and direct the neurons what to do. For instance, if you move your finger, it’s the glia that responds first and then instructs the motor-strip to activate the movement.
Glia play an important part in Electro-Convulsive Therapy. Back in the 1930s, it was found that astrocytes, a type of glial cell, were high in the brains of epileptics (who rarely had depression), and low in depressives. This spawned the use of ECTs as a way to induce glial cell activation in hopes of treating depression. Of course, these days, we do know that there are epileptics who do have depression, so the theory may not be a perfect one.
Read an excellent article by Douglas Fields on glia in: ScientificAmerican Mind May/June 2011, pages 53-59."
I posted on our facebook page an article from a 2009 edition of ScientificAmerican Mind an interview with Andrew Koob, who wrote a book about Glia cells. The interview gives a lot of good background on glia cells. Douglas Fields has a great blog post which goes through why glia cells have been neglected in research. He is a frequent contributor to SciAM.
~S
Labels: Glia cells, Neuroscience for kids
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Indeed a great article. You have mentioned good & useful information. However I want to ask that I am looking for Best Retirement Communities for my wife. She has retired from her service. She wants to live at country side. One of my friend suggested Garden Spot Village. He stated it is the best place for country living. Can anyone give feedback about them? I will appreciate. I will also retire in a few months and plan to join her.
Hi fellow Blogger,
I can comment on which part of the brain to stimulate to keep sharp while retired, but I have no idea as to what retirement community to retire in. - dave
I can comment on which part of the brain to stimulate to keep sharp while retired, but I have no idea as to what retirement community to retire in. - dave
Stem cell therapy is an intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury.
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