Know Your Brain: Glial Cells (opens in new tab)

For much of the history of neuroscience, glial cells were treated like structures that existed mainly to support and hold neurons together. In fact, the term glia comes from the Greek word for “glue,” reflecting this early assumption about their role. Over the last several decades, however, our understanding of glial cells has changed dramatically. We now know that glial cells are not just passive scaffolding for neurons; they are active, essential participants in nearly every aspect of brain...