Neurons Get Connected Via Glia

摘要

Glial cells once had a reputation as the support staff for neurons, the real movers and shakers in the nervous system. In recent years, however, researchers have gleaned hints that glia, which make up about 90% of the cells in the brain, do more than just maintenance work. New findings presented at the meeting suggest that in the crucial task of building synapses―the contact points that allow neurons to talk to one another―glia may even run the show.