EVERYDAY SCIENCE

SCIENCE

NERVOUS SYSTEM

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What is the insulating membrane that surrounds parts of the axon that helps the impulses travel faster called?
A
Axon
B
Dendrites
C
Node of Ranvier
D
Myelin Sheath
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -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-2: -The myelin sheath has three functions: Its fatty-protein coating provides protective insulation for your nerve cell, like the plastic insulation covering that encases the wires of an electrical cord. It allows the electrical impulses to travel quickly and efficiently between one nerve cell and the next.

Detailed explanation-3: -The myelin sheath is a greatly extended and modified plasma membrane wrapped around the nerve axon in a spiral fashion [1]. The myelin membranes originate from and are a part of the Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the oligodendroglial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) (see Chap.

Detailed explanation-4: -Myelin sheath function Since the myelin sheath surrounds the axon, one of its functions is to separate the axon from surrounding extracellular components. Its main function, however, is to insulate the axon and increase the velocity of action potential propagation.

Detailed explanation-5: -Myelination is the process by which brain oligodendrocytes produce layers of myelin that wrap around the neuronal axons and act as a layer of insulation for the transmission of electric action potentials down the neuronal axon.

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