Neuropathy Knowledge: What Is Myelin?

Today's post from sciencedaily.com (see link below) is the third part of a series from the same source providing readers with explanations and information about many of the medical terms they hear when researching neuropathy, or sitting in the doctor's surgery and talking about it. Today it explains the word 'Myelin' and gives related definitions of other words associated with the workings of myelin. When the myelin sheath is damaged that can be one of the main causes of neuropathy and your pain. Worth following the links if you have the time. Other posts about myelin can be found to the right of this blog.

Myelin
Science Daily via Wikipedia

Myelin is an electrically insulating phospholipid layer that surrounds the axons of many neurons.

It is an outgrowth of glial cells: Schwann cells supply the myelin for peripheral neurons while oligodendrocytes supply it to those of the central nervous system.

The main consequence of a myelin layer (or sheath) is an increase in the speed at which impulses propagate along the myelinated fiber.

For more information about the topic Myelin, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Axon — An axon, or nerve fiber, is a long slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body ... read more

Neuron — Neurons (also known as neurones, nerve cells and nerve fibers) are electrically excitable cells in the nervous system that function to process and ... read more

Action potential — An action potential is a wave of electrical discharge that travels along the membrane of a cell. Action potentials are an essential feature of animal ...  read more

Sympathetic nervous system — The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which also includes the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The ...  read more

Nervous system — The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and also stops input from the senses, and ... read more

Gate control theory of pain — The gate control theory of pain, put forward by Ron Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1962, is the idea that physical pain is not a direct result of ...  read more

Sensory neuron — Sensory neurons are nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism's environment into internal ...  read more

Multiple sclerosis — Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis) is a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system ...  read more

Stem cell treatments — Medical researchers believe that stem cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease and alleviate suffering. A number of ... read more

Brain — In animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the control center of the central nervous system. In most animals, the brain is located in the head, ...  read more

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/m/myelin.htm