Title: microglial cell
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - microglial cell
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.11872
Status: current

Definition
Small glial cell; resident macrophage derived as a mononuclear phagocyte that populates the brain in early development.

Note
Microglia represent about \(\pu{15\%}\) of all cells in the brain parenchyma and spinal cord and function in areas of neural damage or inflammation. They clear debris and misfolded proteins, assist in synaptic stripping, and contribute to immune surveillance.

Related Terms
- brain: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11647
- glial cell: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11785
- inflammation: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11830
- misfolded proteins: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11878
- synaptic stripping: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/12113

Source
- PAC, 2015, 87, 841. 'IUPAC Glossary of terms used in neurotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2015)' on page 881 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0103)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11872/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11872/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11872/xml

Citation: Citation: 'microglial cell' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.11872
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-05-10T18:35:49+00:00