Myelin

Definition

Myelin is a lipid-rich material that in most vertebrates surrounds the axons of neurons to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses pass along the axon. The myelinated axon can be likened to an electrical wire with insulating material (myelin) around it. However, unlike the plastic covering on an electrical wire, myelin does not form a single long sheath over the entire length of the axon. Myelin ensheaths part of an axon known as an internodal segment, in multiple myelin layers of a tightly regulated internodal length.

Related concepts

ARR3 Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Action potential Active zone Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis Afferent nerve fiber Alpha motor neuron Anatomical terminology Antibodies Apical dendrite Arrestin Arrestin beta 1 Arrestin beta 2 Association fiber Astrocyte Astrocytes Auditory nerve Autapse Autoimmune Autonomic ganglion Axolemma Axon Axon hillock Axon terminal Axons Axoplasm Basal dendrite Beta motor neuron Bipolar neuron Bulbous corpuscle CD151 CD20 CD37 CD53 CD63 CD81 CD82 (gene)CD9 Calanoid Calnexin Canavan disease Capacitance Caveolae Cell junction Cell membrane Cell surface receptor Cellular differentiation Cellular extensions Central nervous system Central pontine myelinosis Cerebral cortex Cf.Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease Chemical synapse Cholesterol Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy Cognition Cognitive Commissural fiber Conduction of electricity Connective tissue Corpus callosum Corticospinal tract Critical period Cytokine Cytoplasm Cytoskeletal Cytoskeleton Decussation Demyelinating disease Dendrite Dendritic spine Depolarisation Diffusion Distal Docosahexaenoic acid Dorsal ramus of spinal nerve Dorsal root ganglion Dorsal root of spinal nerve Drug discovery Dysferlin Efferent nerve fiber Electrical resistance Electrical synapse Electron microscopy Endoneurium Enzyme Ependyma Epineurium Foot processes Foundational Model of Anatomy Free nerve ending Funiculus (neuroanatomy)GSK3B Galactocerebroside Gamma motor neuron Gap junction General somatic afferent fibers General somatic efferent fibers General visceral afferent fibers General visceral efferent fibers Gestational age Glia Glial cell Glial cells Glycocalyx Glycolipid Golgi tendon organ Granule cell Gray ramus communicans Grey matter Group A nerve fiber Group C nerve fiber Guillain–Barré syndrome HFE (gene)Hair cell Hartford, Connecticut Hearing Homeostatic Immune system Insulator (electricity)Integral membrane protein Interferon Interneuron Internodal segment Ion Jawless fish LDL-receptor-related protein-associated protein Lemniscus (anatomy)Lesion Lesional demyelinations of the central nervous system Leukodystrophies Leukodystrophy Lipid Lipid-anchored protein Lipid bilayer Lipid raft Lipoprotein Lithium chloride Lower motor neuron Lumbricus terrestris M. Laura Feltri MS4A10 MS4A12 MS4A13 MS4A14 MS4A15 MS4A18 MS4A2 MS4A3 MS4A4A MS4A4E MS4A5 MS4A6A MS4A6E MS4A7 MS4A8B MS4A9 Macrophages Marsupenaeus Medium spiny neuron Membrane-spanning 4A Membrane contact site Membrane glycoproteins Membrane lipid Membrane nanotube Membrane potential Membrane protein Meninges Merkel nerve ending Merlin (protein)Microglia Micrometre Mitochondria Motor function Motor neuron Multiple sclerosis Multipolar neuron Muscle spindle Myelin-associated glycoprotein Myelin Repair Foundation Myelin basic protein Myelin incisure Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein Myelin protein zero Myelin proteolipid protein Myelin sheath Myelination Myelinoid Myocyte Nerve Nerve fascicle Nerve fiber Nerve tract Nervous tissue Neurilemma Neurodegenerative Neurofilament Neurofilaments Neuromuscular junction Neuromyelitis optica Neuron Neuropathy Neuropil Neurotransmitter Neurotransmitter receptor Nicotine Nissl body Nociceptor Node of Ranvier Nodes of Ranvier Nonmyelinating Schwann cell Nuclear envelope Nutrition Olfaction Olfactory receptor neuron Oligochaete Oligodendrocyte Oligodendrocyte precursor cell Oligodendrocyte progenitor cell Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells Organ system Organelles Otoferlin PMP2 Pacinian corpuscle Pain Palaemonid Parasympathomimetic drug Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease Penaeid Perineurium Peripheral membrane protein Peripheral nervous system Peripheral neuropathies Pernicious anaemia Phenylketonuria Phospholipid Phospholipid scramblase Phosphorylation Photoreceptor cell Phycobilisome Porosome Postganglionic nerve fibers Postsynaptic density Potassium channels Preganglionic nerve fibers Presenilin Presenilin-1 Presenilin-2 Projection fiber Protein Protein (nutrient)Proteolipid protein Proteolipid protein 1 Pseudounipolar neuron Pulmonary surfactant Purkinje cell Pyramidal cell Ramus communicans Remyelination Renshaw cell Resting membrane potential Ribbon synapse Rudolf Virchow SAG (gene)STRC Saltatory conduction Satellite glial cell Schizophrenia Schwann cell Sciatic nerve Scientific American Secretory cell Sense Sensory neuron Sensory receptor Shiverer mouse Sight Soma (biology)Special somatic afferent Special visceral afferent Special visceral efferent Speech acquisition Sphingolipid Sphingomyelin Stem cell Sterol Subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord Surfactant protein B Surfactant protein C Synapse Synaptic vesicle TSPAN1 TSPAN10 TSPAN11 TSPAN12 TSPAN13 TSPAN14 TSPAN15 TSPAN16 TSPAN17 TSPAN18 TSPAN19 TSPAN2 TSPAN20 TSPAN21 TSPAN22 TSPAN23 TSPAN3 TSPAN31 TSPAN32 TSPAN33 TSPAN34 TSPAN4 TSPAN5 TSPAN6 TSPAN7 TSPAN8 TSPAN9 Tactile corpuscle Tanycyte Taste receptor Telodendron Tetraspanin The Myelin Project Third trimester Touch Transmembrane protein Transmission electron micrograph Transverse myelitis Trinity College (Connecticut)Tumor necrosis factor-alpha Type II sensory fiber Type Ia sensory fiber Unipolar neuron Upper motor neuron Ventral ramus of spinal nerve Ventral root of spinal nerve Vertebrate Vesalius Vitamin B12 Voltage-gated sodium channels Von Economo neuron White matter White ramus communicans

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