Since our group name is the astrocytes and I was having trouble understanding the different types of glia, I decided to look them up on Youtube. In the video below, it color codes glia and neurons and shows how they work together. As I research astrocytes, they kind of sound like a mother. Astrocytes are responsible for upkeep of the CNS as well as nourishing and repairing and communicating between neurons. They aren't always given the proper recognition and no one really knows all they do, but they are responsible for keeping the CNS running so smoothly. These little "jack of all trades" have many different talents and many more that still need to be discovered. They fix and build up scar tissue on cells that have been injured as well as provide nourishment. It's still fairly new how astrocytes help, but it has become an interesting subject to me. Astrocytes are the majority of glial cells. They act like a glue for neurons and can also get nutrients to neurons as well as digest pieces of dead neurons. As the research concerning these star-shaped glia continue, it has been learned that astrocytes can communicate. Although they do not send electrical signals, they are able to modify the signals they send and receive via chemicals. There is also evidence proving that astrocytes can alter how a neuron is built by directing where to make synapses or dendritic spines. At the bottom of the video, I have provided a link to a website that provided an easy understanding to all three types of Glia also known as the neuron's support group.
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