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
Radial glial cell the lateral ventricles of the developing cortex, and the phasic migration of their nuclei depending on their location with the cell cycle (termed “interkinetic nuclear migration”). Radial glia are now recognized as key progenitor cells in the developing nervous system. During the late stages of neurogenesis, radial glial cells divide asymmetrically in the ventricular zone, generating a new radial glial cell, as well as a postmitotic neuron or an intermediate progenitor (IPC) daughter cell. Intermediate progenitor cells then divide symmetrically in the subventricular zone to generate neurons. Local environmental cues such as Notch and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling, developmental