Glioses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pathological condition characterized by the proliferation of glial cells in the central nervous system
2. A response to injury in the brain or spinal cord involving the formation of scar tissue by supportive cells
3. A change in brain tissue composition that can affect neural function due to the overgrowth of glial cells in response to damage or disease

Etymology: Glioses is the plural of gliosis, and the word is built from "glia" and the suffix "-osis." Glia are the supporting cells of the nervous system, the tissue that surrounds and nourishes neurons. The name itself comes from the Greek "gloios," meaning glue, which fits a cell type that holds the nerve tissue together. The suffix "-osis" is a common medical ending, from Greek, used to name a diseased or abnormal condition, often one that has progressed or spread. Adding it to "glia" yields a term for the state in which those supporting cells multiply and form a dense, scar-like mesh after the brain or spinal cord is injured. Where a neuron is lost, the surrounding glia rush in and build the scar.

Synonyms: gliosis