Page 6 - Parkinsons disease

The Support Cells and Environment of the

Brain

When most people think of the brain, they think

of neurons, the cells that actually help us move, see

and think, but the brain is much more complex than

this. There are a number of different types of cells

within the brain that support the functioning of the

neurons. These types of cells are known as

neuroglial cells and make up at least 80% of the

cells in the brain. We will simply refer to them as

support cells. Where many times, these are seen as

secondary cells, the support cells are crucial for the

correct functioning of the brain and all the neurons

found within it.

Types and functions of neuroglia/support cells

within the brain

1. Astrocytes: Astrocytes are the most

numerous type of support cell in the brain.

These cells connect the blood vessels to the

neurons serving to both provide nutrition to the

neurons of the brain and also to filter out