The broad category of glial cell includes all of the cells making up the nervous system that are not neurons. This includes the innate immune cells known as microglia, the astrocytes that manage brain metabolism and make up much of the brain’s structure, the oligodendrocytes that maintain the myelin sheathing necessary for nerves to conduct electrical impulses, and a few other smaller or more localized populations. These are all very different cell types with very different functions, so…
Glial Cell Dysfunction, Both Cause and Consequence of Brain Aging
The broad category of glial cell includes all of the cells making up the nervous system that are not neurons. This includes the innate immune cells known as microglia, the astrocytes that manage brain metabolism and make up much of the brain’s structure, the oligodendrocytes that maintain the myelin sheathing necessary for nerves to conduct electrical impulses, and a few other smaller or more localized populations. These are all very different cell types with very different functions, so…