Glial Cells
<h3 >Glial cells</h3>
<p ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell" title="Glial cell" class="mw-redirect" >Glial cells</a>, commonly called neuroglia or glia, are supportive cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for the brain's neurons.</p>
<ul >
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microglia" title="Microglia" >Microglia</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrocyte" title="Astrocyte" >Astrocyte</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodendrocyte" title="Oligodendrocyte" >Oligodendrocyte</a> (CNS) vs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwann_cell" title="Schwann cell" >Schwann cell</a> (PNS)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Glial cells</b>, sometimes called <b>neuroglia</b> or simply <b>glia</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koine_Greek" title="Koine Greek" >Greek</a> γλία, γλοία "glue"; pronounced in English as either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >ˈɡliːə</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >ˈɡlaɪə</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a>), are non-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuron" title="Neuron" >neuronal</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)" title="Cell (biology)" >cells</a> that maintain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeostasis" title="Homeostasis" >homeostasis</a>, form<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myelin" title="Myelin" >myelin</a>, and provide support and protection for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuron" title="Neuron" >neurons</a> in the brain, and for neurons in other parts of the nervous system such as in the autonomic nervous system.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" > </sup>
In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain" title="Human brain" >human brain</a>, there is roughly one glia for every neuron.</p>
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As the Greek name implies, glia are commonly known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glue" title="Glue" class="mw-redirect" >glue</a> of the nervous system; however, this is not fully accurate. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience" title="Neuroscience" >Neuroscience</a> currently identifies four main functions of glial cells: to surround neurons and hold them in place, to supply <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrients" title="Nutrients" class="mw-redirect" >nutrients</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen" >oxygen</a> to neurons, to insulate one neuron from another, and to destroy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogens" title="Pathogens" class="mw-redirect" >pathogens</a> and remove dead neurons. For over a century, it was believed that they did not play any role in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmission" title="Neurotransmission" >neurotransmission</a>. That idea is now discredited;<sup id="cite_ref-Discover2011JanFeb_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell#cite_note-Discover2011JanFeb-1" >[2]</a></sup> they do modulate neurotransmission, although the mechanisms are not yet well understood.<sup id="cite_ref-Discover2011JanFeb_1-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell#cite_note-Discover2011JanFeb-1" >[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-doi:10.1126.2Fscience.1190721_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell#cite_note-doi:10.1126.2Fscience.1190721-2" >[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-doi:10.1111.2Fj.1742-4658.2008.06515.x_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glial_cell#cite_note-doi:10.1111.2Fj.1742-4658.2008.06515.x-3" >[4]</a></sup></p>