glia

IPA/ˈɡlaɪ.ə/
IPA/ˈɡliː.ə/

glia — 名詞

  • gliasingular
  • gliasplural

1. a type of cell found in the brain and spinal cord whose main job is to surround,

1.名詞C2
釋義

神經膠細胞

圍繞並支持神經元的腦部細胞

a type of cell found in the brain and spinal cord whose main job is to surround, insulate, and protect neurons, keeping the nerve tissue healthy.

例句

The neurologist examined how glia interact with neurons in the patient's brain scan.

神經科醫師檢查了 glia 在患者腦部掃描中如何與神經元互動。

collocation: glia interact with neurons

One type of glia, called astrocytes, helps repair damaged nerve tissue after an injury.

一種稱為星狀細胞的 glia，有助於在受傷後修復受損的神經組織。

pattern: One type of glia, called [specific type]

同義詞
  • glial cell

    more specific and countable; 'glial cell' always refers to an individual cell, whereas 'glia' can be ambiguous between cell and tissue

  • neuroglial cell

    fuller technical term, less common in everyday medical speech

反義詞
  • neuron

    glia support neurons but are a different cell type; they do not transmit electrical signals

文法句型

a glia

the glia

glia (plural)

用法筆記

Countable noun. Frequently used in the plural form when referring to multiple individual cells. Distinguish from sense 2, where the same word refers to the collective supportive tissue as a mass noun.

常見錯誤

❌The glia in the brain is made of many different types.' (when referring to cells)
✅The glia in the brain are made of many different types.
💡when talking about individual cells, use the plural verb.
❌The neurologist studied how glia interacts with neurons.' (when referring to cells)
✅The neurologist studied how glia interact with neurons.
💡'glia' as a plural countable noun takes a plural verb.

2. the mesh of supportive material found inside the brain and spinal cord that wrap

2.名詞C2
釋義

神經膠質

圍繞並滋養神經元的神經支持組織

the mesh of supportive material found inside the brain and spinal cord that wraps around neurons, supplies them with nutrients, and keeps the nerve tissue healthy and working.

例句

The medical student learned that glia makes up about half the volume of the brain.

醫學生學到 glia 約占人類大腦體積的一半。

mass-noun pattern: glia makes up [fraction] of [body part]

Damage to the glia around a nerve cell can slow down the transmission of signals.

神經細胞周圍的 glia 受損，可能會減慢訊號的傳導。

同義詞
  • neuroglia

    the full formal name; 'neuroglia' and 'glia' are interchangeable, but 'neuroglia' is more common in textbooks

  • glial tissue

    less common but clearer for learners — explicitly marks it as tissue rather than cells

反義詞
  • gray matter

    gray matter is mostly neuron cell bodies; glia is the supportive matrix around them

文法句型

the glia

glia [singular verb]

用法筆記

Uncountable (mass) noun; takes a singular verb. Distinguish from sense 1, where the same word refers to the individual cells that make up the tissue. When the meaning is tissue-level, the definite article ('the glia') is common.

常見錯誤

❌The glia are full of different types of cells.' (when referring to tissue)
✅The glia is full of different types of cells.
💡use a singular verb when discussing the tissue as a whole.
❌Glia are composed of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.' (when meaning the tissue)
✅Glia is composed of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
💡the tissue as a whole takes a singular verb.