Which cell type clears necrotic brain tissue after an ischemic stroke?

Which cell type clears necrotic brain tissue after an ischemic stroke?

• A. Astrocytes
• B. Microglia
• C. Neurons
• D. Oligodendrocytes

Answer: (B)

Clearing necrotic brain tissue after an ischemic stroke is done primarily by microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. When blood flow is interrupted and neurons and other cells die, microglia become activated and move to the damaged area, where they phagocytose and digest dead cells and debris. This cleanup is essential to remove necrotic material and pave the way for repair and recovery. Astrocytes contribute to healing by forming a glial scar and helping maintain the environment around the injury, but they don’t take on the main debris-clearing role the way microglia do. Neurons and oligodendrocytes aren’t involved in clearing necrotic tissue; their roles are more about signaling, synaptic function, and myelination, not debris clearance.

Clearing necrotic brain tissue after an ischemic stroke is done primarily by microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. When blood flow is interrupted and neurons and other cells die, microglia become activated and move to the damaged area, where they phagocytose and digest dead cells and debris. This cleanup is essential to remove necrotic material and pave the way for repair and recovery. Astrocytes contribute to healing by forming a glial scar and helping maintain the environment around the injury, but they don’t take on the main debris-clearing role the way microglia do. Neurons and oligodendrocytes aren’t involved in clearing necrotic tissue; their roles are more about signaling, synaptic function, and myelination, not debris clearance.