One type of a number of different glial cells found in the white and gray matter of the central nervous system (CNS). They are star-shaped, with many processes, and provide mechanical support for neurons by wrapping around them and attaching them to their blood vessels by wrapping around them as well (see figure below). Also, they serve as the CNS’s ‘garbage disposal service’ (i.e., as macrophages or phagocytes) in that they dispose of potassium ions after intense neural activity and the debris resulting from apoptosis. Traditionally assumed to be ancillary satellite cells in the nervous system, recent research has implicated them in the establishment and organization of both the structural and functional architecture of the brain.
