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The Importance Of Multiple Sclerosis

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Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, mostly paralyzing disease of the central nervous system that inhibits the flow of information inside the brain, and between the brain and body.

The myelin sheath is sort of a conductive blanket around nerves which assists nerve impulses and messages travel fast and effectively, it is made up of protein and fatty substances. Usually the myelin sheath is used to keep a fast pace up nerve cell transmission from the brain and spinal cord.

The nodes of ranvier are constrictions in the myelin sheath that border the axons of nerve cells, or neurons. They happen about one millimetre intervals along the body of the axon. There must be breaks in the myelin to conduct electricity in neurons. These spaces are …show more content…

It is the electrical events that are conducted along the entire length of the nerve cell's axon. At threshold potential, special sodium channels called voltage-gated channels are triggered to rapidly open,at that time, so too are the potassium voltage gated channels triggered to open (they open very slowly). When opened this allows a large amount of sodium ions to rapidly enter the cell down their concentration gradients, this results in a rapid depolarisation. Once a key maximum potential is reached usually about plus 30 millivolts the voltage gated sodium channels close. The depolarisation stops. Focusing on the potassium channels now, by the time the action potential peak is reached these channels are fully opened. And now a large amount of potassium ions move out of the cell down their concentration gradient. The removal of positive charges results in the membrane potential becoming more negative known as repolarisation. The cell nown returns to its resting values the potassium channels are triggered to close but they close slowly resulting in hyperpolarization. Finally the potassium voltage gated channels close and hyperpolarization stops and the membrane potential returns to rest. This all happens within two …show more content…

How multiple sclerosis works is that white cells puncture the blood-brain barrier and they infiltrate the central nervous system. These white cells then damage/harm the myelin sheath that safeguards the nerve fibers which then forms lesions. More white cells will then appear from being drawn by chemical messages from the beginning white cells. Repair and scarring follow from the inflammation but some myelin will be permanently damaged. Impulses will then travel along the damaged nerves very poorly/slowly. In extreme cases nerve impulses don't travel at

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