Meaning & use
glial cell
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalbiology
A cell in the nervous system that supports, protects, and nourishes neurons but does not carry nerve impulses itself.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: glial cells.
Patterns
- glial cells in the brain
- a type of glial cell
Glial cells outnumber neurons in the brain.
Damage to glial cells can affect how neurons communicate.
Researchers are studying how glial cells help repair injured nerves.
Word forms
| plural | glial cells |
|---|
Common combinations
- glial cell function
- The study focused on glial cell function in the spinal cord.
- glial cell activity
- New imaging techniques can measure glial cell activity.
- supportive glial cells
- Supportive glial cells keep neurons healthy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- neuroglia
- Neuroglia is a more technical term for the supporting tissue of the nervous system, often used collectively.
- glia
- Glia is a shorter, informal term for glial cells as a group.
Word family
- glial adjective
- Relating to glial cells.
- neuroglial adjective
- Another adjective meaning relating to glial cells.
Commonly confused: glial cell or neuron?
glial cell vs neuron
Neurons transmit nerve impulses, while glial cells support and protect neurons but do not transmit impulses themselves.
Practice
Which of the following is a main function of glial cells?
Choose one answer.
Glial cells support and protect neurons. They do not transmit nerve impulses (that is the job of neurons), produce hormones, or carry oxygen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glial cell”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.