Yasmin Khan did post doctoral work at TIFR and then joined the Life Science Department, Sophia College, Mumbai and specializes in conducting courses in cell and developmental neurobiology.

Medha S Rajadhyaksha is a reader in life sciences at Sophia College, Mumbai. She is involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in life sciences with specialization in neuro-biology.

Neuroscientists have believed for a long time that glial cells are supportive elements of the nervous system and have little role in neuronal function. Despite outnumbering neurons tenfold in the Central Nervous System (CNS), and contributing to more than half the brain volume, not much attention was paid to these cells. Recently, glial cells have been found to be far more active participants in CNS function. A set of glial cells, the oligodendrocytes, has attracted attention as their precursors have been found to be extremely plastic. Though these precursor cells are initially committed to form oligodendrocytes alone, they can also be induced to form astrocytes and neurons. Such examples of transdetermination are opening up new lines of research with immense clinical implications. In this part of the series we review some aspects of oligodendrocyte structure and function.

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Address for Correspondence

Yasmin Khan 
Reader 
Sophia College 
Mumbai, India.

Medha S Rajadhyaksha
Reader Life Sciences Department
Sophia College B Desai Road
Mumbai 400 026, India.