Oligodendrocyte
/ˌɒlɪɡoʊˈdɛndrəsaɪt/noun
A type of glial cell in the central nervous system that produces myelin around nerve fibers.
Did you know?The name describes the cell’s sparse, branching processes: Greek roots that once meant “few,” “tree,” and “cell” became a scientific label for the brain’s myelin-making specialists.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*legʰ-
“To gather or choose; a proposed ancestral root connected with the Greek idea of “few” in oligos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
oligos
“Few or little.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dendron
“Tree.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kytos
“A hollow vessel or container; later, a cell.”
20th Century
Scientific Greek
oligodendroglia
“Glial tissue made up of cells with relatively few branching processes; the term was introduced by Spanish neuroscientist Pío del Río-Hortega.”
20th Century–Modern English
English
oligodendrocyte
“A glial cell whose processes form myelin around axons in the central nervous system.”