Myelinated axons
White matter
Myelinated axons are nerve fibers that are coated in a fatty substance called myelin. This myelin sheath acts as an insulator around the axon, allowing for faster and more efficient nerve impulse conduction.
When an action potential is triggered in a myelinated axon, it is propagated down the axon in a process called saltatory conduction. The action potential jumps from one node of Ranvier (the small gaps in the myelin sheath) to the next, dramatically increasing the speed of impulse transmission.
Myelin is produced by specialized cells called oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Demylination, or the loss of myelin, can occur in certain pathological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, leading to impaired nerve function and communication.
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