Question:
What are Gitter cells:
What are Gitter cells:
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Lipid-laden foamy phagocytes clearing myelin debris in the brain.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Macroglia
- Modified macrophages in CNS
- Astrocytes
- Oligodendrocytes
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Define the cell. Gitter cells are macrophages found in the central nervous system; they get their name from their characteristic foamy appearance. Step 2: They look foamy because they are lipid-laden. They are derived mainly from circulating blood monocytes, with some arising from resident microglia. Step 3: Whenever there is parenchymal damage such as inflammation, infarction or parasite migration, these cells phagocytose lipid from degenerated myelin and cellular debris, then migrate to perivascular spaces and exit the CNS via blood or CSF. Step 4: Therefore Gitter cells are modified macrophages of the CNS. Macroglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are neuroglial cells of ectodermal origin and are not phagocytic foam cells, so they are wrong.
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