Neuroanatomy · Nervous System · Medium
Oligodendrocyte
Meaning: A glial cell in the central nervous system that wraps insulating sheaths around several nearby axons.
In practice: In multiple sclerosis, immune attack on the oligodendrocyte leads to loss of the myelin sheath.
Word parts
- oligo- means few
- -cyte means a cell
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
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