Meaning & use
astrocyte
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalbiologymedical
A star-shaped cell in the brain and spinal cord that supports, feeds, and protects nerve cells.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an astrocyte' for one cell and 'astrocytes' for more than one.
Patterns
- an astrocyte in the brain
- astrocytes support neurons
Astrocytes wrap around blood vessels in the brain and help control what passes into the tissue.
Damage to astrocytes can affect how well neurons communicate with each other.
Under a microscope the astrocyte looks star-shaped because of its many branching arms.
Word forms
| plural | astrocytes |
|---|
Common combinations
- astrocyte function
- Researchers are still mapping astrocyte function in the healthy brain.
- reactive astrocytes
- After injury, reactive astrocytes change shape and release signaling molecules.
- astrocyte-neuron interaction
- The study examined astrocyte-neuron interaction during learning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- glial cell
- Glial cell is the general term for any support cell in the nervous system; an astrocyte is one specific type of glial cell.
Word family
- astrocytic adjective
- Relating to astrocytes.
- astrocytoma noun
- A tumor that develops from astrocytes.
Commonly confused: astrocyte or neuron?
astrocyte vs neuron
A neuron is the nerve cell that carries electrical signals, while an astrocyte is a support cell that helps neurons survive and work properly.
Practice
What is the main role of an astrocyte?
Choose one answer.
An astrocyte is a support cell that feeds and protects neurons. Carrying electrical impulses is the job of a neuron, not an astrocyte.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “astrocyte”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.