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Concept

myelin

A neuron with multiple branches extends outward, symbolizing the complex structure of a myelinated axon, where a fatty insulating sheath wraps around the axon to facilitate rapid signal transmission.

A fatty insulating sheath wrapped around vertebrate axons by specialised glial cells. It forces the action potential to jump between small unmyelinated gaps called nodes of Ranvier, roughly multiplying conduction speed by a factor of ten or more. Loss of myelin, as in multiple sclerosis, slows or blocks nerve signals and produces the disease's characteristic neurological symptoms.

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