Gila Cells & Neurons Glia Essay

Its [mylelin insulation] growth enables a baby to gradually hold up its head, and its destruction by diseases such as multiple sclerosis causes severe impairment" (Chen 2009). Researchers have also found that both brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease may be the result of problems with glia cells. Clearly, glia "are more than mere support cells that cater to the needs of neurons" and a "dynamic dialogue between glia and neurons takes place," contrary to what was once thought (Glia guide brain development in worms, 2008, Virtual Worlds).

In the case of the worm that had its glia removed, dendrites or communication receptors "were dramatically shortened and their axons, unable to branch to their expected locations, failed to make the right connections. Moreover, the team showed that neurons located closer to the removed glia have a more abnormal pattern of axon branching compared to those farther away, suggesting that a chemical glia secrete does, in fact, tell axons where to go and, perhaps, how to get there" (Glia guide brain development in worms, 2008, Virtual Worlds).Glia thus could be said to perform a kind of 'traffic cop' as well as communication function within the nervous system.

But perhaps the most important finding of the worm experiment was that the loss of glia had a spiraling effect upon the organization of the worm's brain, causing the cells grow dispersed around the head, rather than in a tight bundled chain of neurons in the form of a nerve ring. This "defect that can impair how the brain receives and sends information" and provide a clue as to how neurological disorders develop that can impact brain functioning, from birth or later in life in more complex organisms like humans (Glia guide brain development in worms, 2008,

Works Cited

Chen, C. The other half of the brain. Retrieved October 6, 2009 at http://phy.ntnu.edu.tw/~cchen/class/scitran/Brain.pdf

Glia guide brain development in worms. (2008, July 14). Physorg.com. Retrieved October 6,

2009 at http://www.physorg.com/news135263394.html

Studying glia development. (2008, July 14). Virtual Worlds. Retrieved October 6, 2009 at http://www.virtualworldlets.net/Resources/Hosted/Resource.php?Name=GilaDev.....