A new machine learning model shows that star-shaped brain cells may be responsible for the brain's memory capacity, and someday, it could inspire advances in AI and Alzheimer's research.

In this process, often an astrocyte gets connected by wrapping its tentacle around the synapse to create a tripartite (three-part) synapse. One astrocyte may form millions of tripartite synapses.

Besides stabilizing the tripartite synapse comprising of neuron-astrocyte-neuron, astrocytes further facilitated the effective communication between neurons via regulation of the ionic environment.