Neural stem cell
Neural Stem Cell
Neural stem cells (pronunciation: NEU-ral stem cells) are a type of stem cell that are found in the nervous system. They are capable of self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.
Etymology
The term "neural" is derived from the Latin word "neuralis," which means "pertaining to the nerves." "Stem cell" is a term that was first used in the late 19th century to describe the cells that give rise to other types of cells.
Function
Neural stem cells are primarily responsible for the production of new neurons and glial cells in the brain. They are crucial for brain development during embryogenesis and in certain parts of the brain continue to produce neurons throughout life.
Related Terms
- Neurogenesis: The process by which neurons are generated from neural stem cells.
- Astrocyte: A type of glial cell that supports and insulates neurons.
- Oligodendrocyte: A type of glial cell that produces myelin, a substance that insulates neurons.
- Neuroplasticity: The ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to experience.
- Multipotent: The ability of a stem cell to differentiate into a limited number of cell types.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Neural stem cell
- Wikipedia's article - Neural stem cell
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski