Chapter 11, Problem 70TQ

Summary Introduction

To review:

The structural feature of the myelin sheath that makes it a good insulator over axon.

Introduction:

Neurons are the basic functional unit of the nervous system. They carry electric impulses and send them to the brain or spinal cord. There are two types of neurons: myelinated and nonmyelinated. It has been seen that myelinated neurons carry nerve impulse faster than the nonmyelinated ones. Although axon of myelinated neurons isnot totally covered by myelin, there are grooves present in the neuron, known as the node of Ranvier that do not have myelin coating.