...because they love you!The neurons get all the attention, but it's the neuroglial cells that really make us what we are neurologically. To paraphrase a Streisand song (Queen Bee), "The neurons got the muscle but the neuroglia's got the hustle."
Like the best insulator in the universe it is, neuroglia (when rapped around an axon or dendrite it is called "myelin") keeps the signal in the neuron pure and focused as it moves along carrying its message. And FAST! I love the kangaroo analogy, but in reality it should be a cheetah.
One only has to see the effect of damaged neuroglia to realize how critical it is. Most neurodegenerative diseases are of the neuroglia, and it is the disruption of signaling effectiveness and efficiency that leads to the distressing signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral palsy, and other conditions. Due to its ability to reproduce (as opposed to the non-mitotic neurons) neuroglia is unfortunately the source of most neurologic malignancies.
On the positive side, it now appears that the metabolically very active neuroglium is responsible for much of acquired intelligence and all learning, since as it grows and reproduces it allows the more static neurons to establish better and more creative connections. It needs plenty of oxygen and lots of carbs, so exercise, eat your pasta, and ditch the cigarette butts in the cause of SCIENTIFIC LITERACY and GENERAL INTELLIGENCE!
Neuroglia rocks!
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