Scientists Find Clue To Brain Development

Abundant but poorly understood brain cells called glia turn out to be essential in the development of synapses -- critical connections that form between neurons in the brain during its development, according to a new study. While scientists have long known that glia supported neurons in adults, this is the first time that researchers have identified the role of glia in forming the connections between neurons, says researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, in California. They announced their finding in the Feb. 11 issue of Cell.

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