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Nervous Tissue: Glial Cells01:31

Nervous Tissue: Glial Cells

Glia, or neuroglia, are vital support cells that assist neurons in their functions. The term "glia" originates from the Greek word for "glue," reflecting their role in holding the nervous system together. These cells can be categorized into six types: four in the central nervous system (CNS) and two in the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The CNS glial cell includes the astrocytes, the oligodendrocytes, the microglia, and the ependymal cells.
Astrocytes are star-shaped glial cells that interact...
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In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Rapid and Refined CD11b Magnetic Isolation of Primary Microglia with Enhanced Purity and Versatility
07:54

Rapid and Refined CD11b Magnetic Isolation of Primary Microglia with Enhanced Purity and Versatility

Published on: April 13, 2017

Microglia actively regulate the number of functional synapses.

Kyungmin Ji1, Gulcan Akgul, Lonnie P Wollmuth

  • 1Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America.

Plos One
|February 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Non-activated microglia regulate brain synaptic activity. Removing microglia increases synaptic activity, while adding them decreases it, showing their role in controlling synapse number and function.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Rapid and Refined CD11b Magnetic Isolation of Primary Microglia with Enhanced Purity and Versatility
07:54

Rapid and Refined CD11b Magnetic Isolation of Primary Microglia with Enhanced Purity and Versatility

Published on: April 13, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microglia are the primary immune cells in the central nervous system.
  • Microglia's role in synaptic physiology is an emerging area of research.
  • Previous studies suggest microglia influence synaptic remodeling during development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the acute effects of microglia on synaptic activity and density.
  • To determine how microglia modulate excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings in organotypic hippocampal slices.
  • Microglia depletion using clodronate liposomes.
  • Addition of microglia to cultured hippocampal neurons.

Main Results:

  • Microglia depletion led to increased excitatory postsynaptic current frequency, suggesting higher synaptic density.
  • Re-introducing microglia reversed this increase in synaptic activity.
  • Adding microglia to neuronal cultures reduced synaptic activity, synapse density, and AMPA receptor expression.

Conclusions:

  • Non-activated microglia play a crucial role in acutely modulating synaptic activity.
  • Microglia regulate the number of functional synapses in the central nervous system.
  • These findings highlight microglia as key regulators of synaptic homeostasis.