Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation a cell body, which houses the nucleus. Axons and dendrites form extensions from the cell body. Glial cells are "nerve-helper" cells that provide structural support, nourishment and protection for neurons. Astrocytes, a kind of glial cell, are the primary support cells of the brain and spinal cord. They make and secrete proteins called neurotrophic factors, which assist in the maintenance of nerve cells in the central nervous system. They also break down and remove proteins or chemicals that might be harmful to neurons (for example, glutamate, a neurotransmitter that in excess causes cells to become overexcited and die by a
Satellite glial cell grooves of the sheath, allowing for possible exchange of materials between the cells. In the sympathetic ganglia, satellite glial cells are one of three main types of cells, the other two being the sympathetic ganglion neurons and small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells. SIF cells of sympathetic ganglia are separated into groups, each of which is surrounded by an SGC sheath. The SGCs of the sympathetic ganglia come from the neural crest and do not proliferate during embryonic development until the neurons are present and mature, indicating that the neurons signal the division and maturation of the SGCs. The SGCs of