Astrocytes are the most abundant, numerous, and diverse type of glial cells in the central nervous system. They have a number of essential functions, e.g. physical and metabolic support for the normal functioning of neurons and other neuronal cells. An increasing number of studies have shown that astrocytes play a key role in regulating the formation of myelin sheath, which is the process of wrapping axons in myelin sheath, thereby increasing the transmission speed of electrical pulses. Learn more: Rat astrocyte cell