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Glite Dictionary
ganglion cell

ganglion cell

1 5.5
A nerve cell with its main part outside the brain and spinal cord, often in the retina
  • noun
  • /ˈɡæŋɡliən sɛl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : célula ganglionar
  • The retina contains approximately 1 million ganglion cells that transmit visual information to the brain.
  • types of ganglion cells

This is a subconscious mechanism by which these neurons, which are called melanopsin ganglion cells.

Examples

  • In patients with glaucoma, the loss of ganglion cells can lead to vision impairment over time.

  • OK, before we get to the ganglion cells, the next cell type is endocrine cells.

  • Foci of less mature ganglion cells were also identified.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Another distinction can be seen in the ganglion cells projecting from the retina.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The gradual polarization change is propagated to a bipolar cell and then to a ganglion cell.

    Blog text (2)

  • High-power neurofilament stain (B) shows normal axon and ganglion cell reactivity.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Along the axons were multiple foci of mature ganglion cells with well-formed Nissl bodies in the peripheral cytoplasm.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Low-power view (A) reveals ganglion cells and axons surrounded by fibrous stroma and adipocytes.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Normally, ganglion cells carry electrical signals from the eye's photoreceptors to the optic nerve.

Synonyms

nerve cell
vsganglion cell
  • Specialized
15 3.4

A cell that sends electrical signals to carry messages between the brain and body

is a specific cell whose body lies outside the central nervous system
gangliocyte
vsganglion cell
  • Specialized
9.9

A nerve cell whose body sits in a small group of cells outside the brain or spinal cord

is found in peripheral systems and the retina as well as these clusters

Surface Forms

ganglion cell singular
ganglion cells plural

Morphology

ganglion + cell

If a learner knows 'ganglion' (an encapsulated mass of nerve cells) and 'cell' (a microscopic living unit), they can infer that a 'ganglion cell' is a cell that is part of or associated with a ganglion (e.g., in the peripheral nervous system or retina). This is a straightforward noun–noun compound following standard compositional patterns, so the meaning is directly derivable from its constituents.

Etymology

Ganglion cell comes from ganglion, a word for a small 'knot' or lump where many nerve fibers meet, and cell, meaning a single living part. So a ganglion cell is a nerve cell in those knots, often outside the brain or in the eye, that helps 'pass messages' to the brain.