Triple exposure of rat glia culture (400x) using fluorescent photomicroscopy.
Glial cells, or neuroglia, are a major category of cells in the nervous system. In the central nervous system they include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells; in the peripheral nervous system, they include satellite cells, and Schwann cells. Broadly, these cells function in the development and repair of neurons, myelination, and they maintain structural integrity of the nervous system.
Read an earlier post on the Schwann cells, oligodendrocytes, and the process of myelination here.
Photo Credit: Nancy Kedersha, via the Nikon Small World Competition Gallery
