{
"name": "human_vs_rodent_astrocyte_size_complexity",
"metric": "fold-difference (human / rodent)",
"papers": [
{
"doi": "10.1523/jneurosci.4707-08.2009",
"year": "2009",
"title": "Uniquely hominid features of adult human astrocytes.",
"value": "2.6-fold",
"metric": "diameter ratio (human protoplasmic vs rodent)",
"study_system": "human",
"value_source_sentence": "We report here that protoplasmic astrocytes in human neocortex are 2.6-fold larger in diameter and extend 10-fold more GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein)-positive primary processes than their rodent counterparts."
},
{
"doi": "10.3389/fnana.2020.00031",
"year": "2020",
"title": "Characterization of Vimentin-Immunoreactive Astrocytes in the Human Brain.",
"value": "2-3 fold",
"metric": "size ratio (human VIM+ vs mouse VIM+)",
"study_system": "human+mouse",
"value_source_sentence": "Together these morphometric comparisons reveal that human VIM-IR astrocytes are 2–3 fold greater in size than mouse VIM-IR astrocytes."
},
{
"doi": "10.1126/science.ade9516",
"year": "2023",
"title": "Comparative transcriptomics reveals human-specific cortical features.",
"value": "3-fold",
"metric": "AMPA receptor subunit expression (human vs mouse)",
"study_system": "human (snRNA-seq)",
"value_source_sentence": "Finally, glutamate AMPA receptor subunits ( GRIA1 , GRIA2 , GRIA4 ) had more than 3-fold greater expression in human astrocytes, suggesting a human-specific responsiveness of astrocytes to glutamate ( Fig."
},
{
"doi": "10.1002/advs.202507423",
"year": "2026",
"title": "Astrocyte Enrichment of 3D Cortical Constructs Enhances Brain Repair.",
"value": "2-3x",
"metric": "domain size (human vs mouse, qualitative)",
"study_system": "human+mouse",
"value_source_sentence": "Whereas mouse reactive astrocytes enlarge under pathological conditions, this plasticity does not reflect adoption of human astrocyte architecture (e.g., 2–3 times larger domains or 10 times more primary branches)."
}
],
"x_axis": "metric",
"y_axis": "fold-difference",
"description": "Forest plot of fold-differences between human (or primate) cortical astrocytes and their rodent counterparts across morphological and molecular metrics. Consistent direction (human > rodent), but magnitude varies by feature: diameter ratios cluster at 2–3x while process number approaches 10x.",
"figure_type": "forest",
"homogeneity_check": {
"caveats": "All studies compare human/primate vs rodent cortical astrocytes, but the measured quantity differs across papers (domain diameter, process number, molecular expression of AMPA receptor subunits, VIM+ cell size). Oberheim 2009 compared fixed adult tissue; Falcone 2020 focused on VIM+ (activated/immature) astrocytes specifically; Hodge 2023 (Science) compared transcriptome; Wang 2025 reviewed xenotransplants. Effect sizes are on multiplicative scale but represent different phenotypes, so the values should be interpreted as convergent evidence of species difference rather than identical measurements.",
"metric_uniform": false,
"scope_region_uniform": true,
"taxonomic_level_uniform": true,
"scope_population_uniform": false
}
}