AP PSYCHOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR

NEUROTRANSMISSION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What is a fatty tissue layer that encases axons of some neurons and enables faster transmission speed?
A
Synapse
B
Axon
C
Myelin Sheath
D
Dendrite
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -A myelin sheath is a sleeve (sheath) that’s wrapped around each nerve cell (neurons). It’s a protective layer of fat (lipids) and protein that coats the main “body” section of a neuron called the axon.

Detailed explanation-2: -Myelin is an insulating layer, or sheath that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord. It is made up of protein and fatty substances. This myelin sheath allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.

Detailed explanation-3: -Myelin can greatly increase the speed of electrical impulses in neurons because it insulates the axon and assembles voltage-gated sodium channel clusters at discrete nodes along its length. Myelin damage causes several neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

Detailed explanation-4: -Most of the axons in the central nervous system are wrapped in myelin, a substance rich in lipids (fatty substances) and proteins. Like the coating around an electrical wire, myelin insulates and protects the axon and helps speed nerve transmission.

Detailed explanation-5: -Myelin is formed by Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Each Schwann cell forms a single myelin sheath around an axon.

There is 1 question to complete.