Microglia (Brain Cleaners)

The brain's own guards

Microglia are a kind of glial cell, a helper cell in the brain and spinal cord.

Each one has a small body with many thin, branching arms, like a tiny tree. They spread out, so each one watches over its own small patch of the brain.

Cleaning and trimming

• They gobble up germs that get into the brain.
• They clean up waste and old or hurt cells.
• When you are young, they help trim extra connections between nerve cells, like a gardener trimming a bush. This helps your brain work well.

Microglia quiz