Cell of the Month – Kupffer Cells

Cell of the Month – Kupffer Cells

Welcome back to our Cell of the Month series! This time, we are talking about Kupffer cells – what they are, what they do, and why we should want to learn more about them!  Kupffer cells – the gatekeepers of the liver First described by German anatomist...
Cell of the Month: Pericytes

Cell of the Month: Pericytes

It’s a fibroblast-like cell adorned with long cytoplasmic processes that wrap around the endothelial cells in blood vessels, it controls blood flow through the blood vessels, and it is essential for normal brain function and development. Which cell type is it? Well,...
Melanocytes, Melanin, and More

Melanocytes, Melanin, and More

Melanocytes are melanin-producing cells found mainly in the lowest part of the top layer of your skin or to put it in science-speak: the stratum basale of your epidermis (see our article on the morphology of the skin). Melanin is a pigment, best known and primarily...
Astrocytes: What Are They and What Do They Do?

Astrocytes: What Are They and What Do They Do?

Q 1 & 2: What Are Astrocytes? What Do Astrocytes Do? Astrocytes or astroglia are the largest and most numerous types of glial cells (see below) in the Central Nervous System (CNS). There are various subtypes of astrocytes within the different regions of the brain...