Gemistocyte
human disease
A gemistocyte (/dʒɛˈmɪstəsaɪt/ jem-ISS-tə-syte; from Greek γέμιζω (gemizo) 'to fill up') is a swollen, reactive astrocyte.
Gemistocytes are glial cells that are characterized by billowing, eosinophilic cytoplasm and a peripherally positioned, flattened nucleus. Gemistocytes most often appear during acute injury; and eventually, shrink in size. They are usually present in anoxic-ischemic brains, which occurs when there is a complete lack of blood flow to the brain. Anoxic-ischemic brains usually occur in patients who have had cardiac arrest and prolonged attempt at cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Functions in the body
When present in anoxic-ischemic brains, gemistocytes are regularly encountered in glial neoplasms, also known as glioma, which is a type of tumor that occurs in the brain and spinal cord. Usually, gliomas begin in the glial cells that surround the nerve cells to help them function. Many gliomas exhibit cells that do not exist in normal brain tissue and are not seen in glial differentiation. Of these gliomas are astrocytomas, which is a type of cancer that occurs in the brain or spinal cord. The main role of astrocytes is to maintain brain homeostasis and neuronal metabolism.
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This entry incorporates text from “Gemistocyte” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.