what do glial cells do in the brain
Neuroglia Neuroglia, also called glial cells or simply glia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system. They maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons.[1] In the central nervous system, glial cells include oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, ependymal cells and microglia, and in the peripheral nervous system glial cells include Schwann cells and satellite cells. They have four main functions: (1) To surround neurons and hold them in place (2) To supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons (3) To insulate one neuron from another (4) To destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons. They also play a role in neurotransmission and synaptic connections,[2] and in physiological processes like breathing,[3][4] .
Glutamate (neurotransmitter) In neuroscience, glutamate refers to the anion of glutamic acid in its role as a neurotransmitter: a chemical that nerve cells use to send signals to other cells. It is by a wide margin the most abundant neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system.[1] It is used by every major excitatory function in the vertebrate brain, accounting in total for well over 90% of the synaptic connections in the human brain. It also serves as the primary neurotransmitter for some localized brain regions, such as cerebellum granule cells.