neuroglia

neu·rog·li·a  (n-rgl-, ny-, nr-gl, -gl-, nyr-)

n.

The supportive tissue of the nervous system, including the network of branched cells in the central nervous system (astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) and the supporting cells of the peripheral nervous system (neurilemma and satellite cells). Also called glia.

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[neuro- + Medieval Greek glia, glue; see zooglea.]

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neu·rogli·al adj.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

neuroglia - sustentacular tissue that surrounds and supports neurons in the central nervous system; glial and neural cells together compose the tissue of the central nervous system glia interstitial tissue - tissue between the cells of a structure or part in plant or animal glial cell, neurogliacyte, neuroglial cell - a cell of the neuroglia astroglia, macroglia - tissue consisting of large stellate neuroglial cells microglia - neuroglial tissue of mesodermal origin that can become phagocytic oligodendria, oligodendroglia - tissue consisting of glial cells with sheetlike processes that form the myelin sheath of nerve fibers central nervous system, CNS, systema nervosum centrale - the portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord glioma - a tumor of the brain consisting of neuroglia