Half of the cells in the brain are neurons, the other half are glial cells.
When scientists first discovered glia over a century ago, they thought that they simply held the neurons together. Their name derives from a Greek word that means glue.
In the past decade, researchers have come to understand that glial cells do so much more: They communicate with neurons and work closely with the immune system and might be critical in how we experience pain. They even play an important role in regulating the digestive tract.
Ira is joined by Yasemin Saplakoglu, a staff writer at Quanta Magazine who has reported on these lesser-known cells.
Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.
Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.
Our Inevitable Cosmic Apocalypse
The Complicated Truths About Offshore Wind And Right Whales
The Bumpy Road To Approving New Alzheimer’s Drugs
‘3 Body Problem’ And The Laws Of Physics | In Defense Of ‘Out Of Place’ Plants
Baltimore Bridge Collapse | Mapping How Viruses Jump Between Species
The Legacy Of Primatologist Frans de Waal
The ‘Asteroid Hunter’ Leading The OSIRIS-REx Mission
Swimming Sea Lions Teach Engineers About Fluid Dynamics
Botanical Rescue Centers Take In Illegally Trafficked Plants
2023 Was Hottest Year On Record | The NASA Satellite Studying Plankton
A Strange-Looking Fish, Frozen In Time
What We Know After 4 Years Of COVID-19
Science Unlocks The Power Of Flavor In ‘Flavorama’
Abortion-Restrictive States Leave Ob-Gyns With Tough Choices
Nasal Rinsing Safely | How Your Brain Constructs Your Mental Health
A New Book Puts ‘Math in Drag’
With This Rare Disorder, No Amount Of Sleep Is Enough
How Election Science Can Support Democracy | The Genetic Roots Of Antibiotic Resistance
Triple Feature: Dune, Mars, And An Alien On Earth
Could This Be The End Of Voyager 1?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Freakonomics Radio
Radiolab
More Perfect
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked
Death, Sex & Money