Myelination is the critical biological process involving the formation of a multilayered, lipid-rich sheath, known as myelin, around the axons of neurons by specialized glial cells—oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. This sheath acts as an electrical insulator, significantly increasing the speed and efficiency of action potential conduction along the nerve fiber. Proper myelination is essential for neurological function, and its development and maintenance are sensitive to the influence of thyroid hormones and certain steroid hormones, which regulate glial cell differentiation and function.
Origin
The term derives from the Greek myelos, meaning marrow, referring to the innermost part of a structure, which in this case is the fatty sheath. The process was identified through early histological studies of nerve tissue. The understanding of its physiological significance, particularly the mechanism of saltatory conduction, solidified its role as a fundamental process in neurobiology and neuroendocrinology.
Mechanism
The mechanism involves the glial cells wrapping their plasma membrane tightly around the neuronal axon in a spiral fashion, excluding the cytoplasm to form the compact myelin sheath. This wrapping is precisely regulated by molecular signals exchanged between the axon and the glial cell. The resulting sheath is periodically interrupted by Nodes of Ranvier, which concentrate voltage-gated ion channels, allowing the electrical impulse to “jump” from node to node, dramatically accelerating signal transmission in a process called saltatory conduction.
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