EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -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-2: -The myelin sheath is a layer of fatty tissue surrounding the axon of a neuron that both acts as an insulator and allows faster transmission of the electrical signal.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -The myelin surrounding the neurons protects the axon and aids in the speed of transmission. The myelin sheath is broken up by points known as the nodes of Ranvier or myelin sheath gaps. Electrical impulses are able to jump from one node to the next, which plays a role in speeding up the transmission of the signal.

Detailed explanation-5: -Myelin acts as a form of insulation for axons, helping to send their signals over long distances. For this reason, myelin is mostly found in neurons that connect different brain regions, rather than in the neurons whose axons remain in the local region.