Nirva Institute · Astrocytes · Communication & Networks
Astrocytes and Neurotransmitters
Uptake, recycling, and release.
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The Nirva Institute•Published 2026•≈ 6 min read
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Neurotransmitters do not simply diffuse away from the synapse. They are actively taken up, metabolised, and recycled — largely by astrocytes.
§ 1
Uptake and recycling
Astrocytes take up glutamate through high-affinity transporters and recycle it via the glutamate-glutamine cycle.182
§ 2
Astrocytic release
Scientific References
Primary literature
AMA numeric style. Citation numbers are unified across the Nirva Life ecosystem — the same number refers to the same reference across every library article. Full registry is anchored in the Cornerstone Paper.
- 182.Verkhratsky A, Nedergaard M. Physiology of astroglia. Physiol Rev. 2018;98(1):239-389. PubMed ↗
- 185.Araque A, Carmignoto G, Haydon PG, Oliet SHR, Robitaille R, Volterra A. Gliotransmitters travel in time and space. Neuron. 2014;81(4):728-739. PubMed ↗
- 187.Volterra A, Meldolesi J. Astrocytes, from brain glue to communication elements: the revolution continues. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2005;6(8):626-640. PubMed ↗
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