Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The supportive tissue of the nervous system, including the network of branched cells in the central nervous system (astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) and the supporting cells of the peripheral nervous system (Schwann cells and satellite cells).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The peculiar sustentacular tissue of the cerebrospinal axis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anat.) The delicate connective tissue framework which supports the nervous matter and blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord; called also Kölliker's reticulum. It is composed of cells which are not neurons. Once thought to serve merely a supporting funciton, they are now believed to have important metablolic functions. Among them are the astrocytes, ependymal cells, oligodendroglia cells, and microglia cells.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun cytology glial cell

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun sustentacular tissue that surrounds and supports neurons in the central nervous system; glial and neural cells together compose the tissue of the central nervous system

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[neuro– + Medieval Greek glia, glue; see zoogloea.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

neuro- +‎ glia

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word neuroglia.

Examples

  • Glial cells (also known as neuroglia) provide support to the neural tissue, regulate the environment around the neurons, and protect against foreign invaders.

    Neurotoxicity 2008

  • The nervous tissues are composed of nerve cells and their various processes, together with a supporting tissue called neuroglia, which, however, is found only in the brain and medulla spinalis.

    IX. Neurology. 1. Structure of the Nervous System 1918

  • Immunity, neuroglia and neuroinflammation in autism.

    The Autoimmune Epidemic Donna Jackson Nakazawa 2008

  • Immunity, neuroglia and neuroinflammation in autism.

    The Autoimmune Epidemic Donna Jackson Nakazawa 2008

  • Note: The first use of the word “neuroglia” is on p.

    The Other Brain R. Douglas Fields 2009

  • There are two types of nervous tissue — neurons and neuroglia.

    Tissues 2007

  • The brain has ganglia and nerve fibers, has neuroglia and vessels, has different colors (is colored this way or that) and so on.

    Neutral Monism Stubenberg, Leopold 2005

  • These cells make up part of the neuroglia (nyoo-rog'lee-uh; "nerve-glue" G) that surrounds and supports the nerve cells themselves.

    The Human Brain Asimov, Isaac 1963

  • If these theories be true, what, it may be asked, is the agency that causes the dendrites to contract or the neuroglia cells to expand?

    Scientific American Supplement, No. 1178, June 25, 1898 Various

  • Cajal, on the other hand, believes that the neuroglia cells are contractile, and may expand so as to interpose their branches as insulating material between the synapses formed by the dendrites of the nerve cells.

    Scientific American Supplement, No. 1178, June 25, 1898 Various

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.