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Glial cells are important cells found throughout the nervous system that support its functions. They have various roles, including insulation, structural support, waste removal, and attacking invading organisms. Glial cells are necessary for the survival of neurons, and their function is important for understanding the nervous system and injury recovery. Glial cell disturbances can lead to conditions such as cancer, which can be difficult to treat.
Glial cells, or glia, are specialized cells found throughout the nervous system to support its functions. They have not historically been extensively studied because researchers were more interested in neurons, believing that glial cells acted primarily as a mortar to hold the nervous system together. Research in the 1960s began to reveal that these cells actually played a number of important roles, including the ability to signal to each other and control signaling with other cells. Studies on their function are important for understanding how the nervous system works and how it recovers from an injury.
One role of the glial cell is that of an insulator. A specific subtype known as an oligodendrocyte produces myelin, which protects neurons from each other and regulates the movement of signals. Glial cells such as astrocytes offer structural support to keep neurons in place and also provide a supply of food and cleaning. As neurons produce waste, surrounding cells remove it for processing. Other glial cells known as microglia can attack invading organisms and gobble up dead neurons for removal.
Researchers working with neurons must grow glia alongside them to provide the necessary support. Otherwise, the neurons cannot survive in culture. The exact balance of numbers between glial cells and neurons is up for debate; it was originally believed to be about nine to one, but other research suggests there may be more neurons present than originally believed by researchers attempting to count them. Overall, there are more glial cells than neurons in the nervous system, although the precise number is uncertain.
Microglia arise from the bone marrow and are continually renewed throughout life. Other cells develop from the neural tube and crest, the same structures that give rise to the rest of the nervous system. They are distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems to provide support for a variety of functions. Regulating their environment is one of their most important tasks, making it possible for complex neurological signals to pass through neurons.
The disturbances can arise in the glial cells. These can include cancers, where cells start to reproduce out of control. Astrocytoma, for example, is a cancer that occurs in astrocytes and occurs when a cell’s normal control mechanisms shut down and it continues to divide and grow. Treating these conditions can be complex, as it may require surgery and other therapies in delicate areas of the brain, which could expose patients to risks such as brain damage leading to cognitive impairment.
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