Oligodendrocyte

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of glial cell in the central nervous system that provides support and insulation to neurons by forming myelin sheaths around their axons
2. It plays a crucial role in the health and functioning of nerve fibers, facilitating efficient signal transmission
3. This cell type is involved in the maintenance and repair of neuronal connections, contributing to the overall integrity of the neural network

Etymology: The word is a scientific coinage built from two Greek-derived parts. "Oligo-" comes from the ancient Greek "oligos", meaning "few" or "small", and "dendrocyte" is itself a compound of "dendro-" (tree, branch) and "-cyte" (cell). Put together, the name describes a cell with few branches, set against the many-branched neurons it accompanies in the nervous system. The naming makes sense once you see what the cell does. Oligodendrocytes wrap their extensions around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, forming the fatty myelin sheath that speeds up electrical signals along those fibres. Their branching is sparser than that of some other glial cells, which is why the "few branches" element was chosen.