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Myelinogenesis thus encompasses the process of transition between phases 3 and 4. [6] Upon initiation of myelinogenesis, each pioneer process forms lamellar extensions which extend and elaborate circumferentially around the target axon. This forms the first turn of the myelin sheath. [7]
Myelin (/ ˈ m aɪ. ə l ɪ n / MY-ə-lin) is a lipid-rich material that surrounds nerve cell axons to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses (called action potentials) pass along the axon. [1] [2] The myelinated axon can be likened to an electrical wire (the axon) with insulating material (myelin) around it. However ...
The action potential travels from one location in the cell to another, but ion flow across the membrane occurs only at the nodes of Ranvier. As a result, the action potential signal jumps along the axon, from node to node, rather than propagating smoothly, as they do in axons that lack a myelin sheath.
Oligodendrocytes are a type of glial cell, non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system.They arise during development from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), [8] which can be identified by their expression of a number of antigens, including the ganglioside GD3, [9] [10] [11] the NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and the platelet-derived growth factor-alpha receptor subunit (PDGF ...
Schwann cells are a variety of glial cells that keep peripheral nerve fibres (both myelinated and unmyelinated) alive. In myelinated axons, Schwann cells form the myelin sheath. The sheath is not continuous. Individual myelinating Schwann cells cover about 1 mm of an axon [3] – equating to about 1000 Schwann cells along a 1-m length of the axon.
Axonal transport, also called axoplasmic transport or axoplasmic flow, is a cellular process responsible for movement of mitochondria, lipids, synaptic vesicles, proteins, and other organelles to and from a neuron's cell body, through the cytoplasm of its axon called the axoplasm. [1]
Fig. 1. Neuron and myelinated axon, with signal flow from inputs at dendrites to outputs at axon terminals. The signal is a short electrical pulse called action potential or 'spike'. Fig 2. Time course of neuronal action potential ("spike"). Note that the amplitude and the exact shape of the action potential can vary according to the exact ...
Axon guidance (also called axon pathfinding) is a subfield of neural development concerning the process by which neurons send out axons to reach their correct targets. Axons often follow very precise paths in the nervous system, and how they manage to find their way so accurately is an area of ongoing research.