Glial Cells

Glial cells (also known as neuroglial cells or glia) are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis (fluid balances) and form myelin (a fatty substance that surrounds for the axons of the nerve cells) in the brain. They are different from neurons in that they aren't directly involved in synaptic contact or electrical impulses. They also responsible for support and protection of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neuroscience attributes the following functions to the glial cells; to surround neurons and hold them in place, to supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons, and to insulate one neuron from another. Glial cells also destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons from the brain.