Study of the Characteristics and Functions Astrocytes of the Nervous System

Astrocytes are glial cells located in the central nervous system, that is, in the brain and spinal cord. Like the rest of the glia, astrocytes play supporting roles concerning neurons, the main cells of the nervous system from a functional point of view. Astrocytes are formed from cells of the ectoderm, the layer of the embryonic disc from which the nervous system and epidermis arise, during the organism's early development. Like most glia, astrocytes start from undifferentiated cells similar to those that give rise to neurons. This article aims to relate the characteristics and functions of astrocytes in the brain nutrition function, in the memory and learning process of stroke. Concerned with outlining a public profile of quality research in the area, we sought to answer these questions based on a literature review in the main journals in the area (national and international) classified by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). To complement this analysis with other types of documents such as books, scientific journals, documents, and digital platforms, the following analysis steps were followed: (1) exhaustive reading of each article aiming at a global understanding and discovery of the approach used by its authors; (2) identification of the central ideas of each article; (3) classification of the ideas around core meanings; (4) comparison between the different core meanings present in the articles studied; (5) classification of the core meanings into broader axes (themes) around which the authors' discussions revolved; and (6) writing of interpretative summaries of each theme. After analyzing the content of the articles, we sought to establish a dialogue between the themes found and the literature that served as a basis for introducing the present study.