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Myelination

Meaning

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.