astrocyte

noun

as·​tro·​cyte ˈa-strə-ˌsīt How to pronounce astrocyte (audio)
: a large star-shaped cell of the glia
astrocytic adjective

Examples of astrocyte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Getting rid of the enzyme had altered the behavior of cells called astrocytes. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 2 Sep. 2024 The early phase was marked by inflammatory changes in the brain’s immune cells (microglia) and support cells (astrocytes). New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024 The protein is made mainly by astrocytes, cells that help nourish and maintain neurons, as well as by microglia, the brain’s immune cells. Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024 The team has reported, for example, that the nutrient choline can correct lipid processing in cultured human astrocytes with APOE4. Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for astrocyte 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Astrocyt (later Astrozyt), from astro- astro- + -cyt -cyte

Note: The term was probably introduced by the Hungarian histologist Mihály (Michael von) Lenhossék (1863-1937) in Der feinere Bau des Nervensystems im Lichte neuester Forschungen, 2. Auflage (Berlin, 1895), p. 180.

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of astrocyte was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near astrocyte

Cite this Entry

“Astrocyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astrocyte. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

astrocyte

noun
as·​tro·​cyte ˈas-trə-ˌsīt How to pronounce astrocyte (audio)
: a star-shaped cell
especially : any comparatively large much-branched glial cell
Glia outnumber neurons in the human brain by a factor of 10 to one, and astrocytes are the most abundant type of glial cell. Tina Hesman Saey, Science News
Astrocytes come in two main forms: fibrous astrocytes are found in the white matter and protoplasmic astrocytes in the gray matter. Harold Kimelberg and Michael Norenberg, Scientific American
astrocytic adjective
All gliomas, particularly the astrocytic neoplasms, are histologically, genetically, and thus therapeutically heterogeneous. Lisa M. DeAngelis, The New England Journal of Medicine

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