What is the function of the myelin sheath?
What is the function of the myelin sheath?
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.
What is the function of the myelin sheath quizlet?
The primary function of the myelin sheath is to: insulate the axon and increase the speed at which neurons convey their message.
What does the myelin sheath consist of?
Myelin sheath consists of lipids and proteins which make up a fatty substance and is white in appearance. This forms the protective sleeve that wraps around the axon of neurons. The sheath is made up of many concentric layers of plasma membrane, wrapped tightly around the axon. There are breaks of between 0.2 and 2 mm.
What happens when myelin is damaged?
A demyelinating disease is any condition that results in damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibers in your brain, optic nerves and spinal cord. When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses slow or even stop, causing neurological problems.
What does multipolar neuron mean?
a neuron that has many dendrites and a single axon extending from the cell body. Also called multipolar cell. Compare bipolar neuron; unipolar neuron.
Where does the myelin sheath come from?
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. 1).
What illness is caused by damage to the myelin sheath?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In this disorder, your immune system attacks the myelin sheath or the cells that produce and maintain it. This causes inflammation and injury to the sheath and ultimately to the nerve fibers that it surrounds.
