Explain why myelinated axons can propagate (spread) action potentials faster than unmyelinated axons.
Added by Toni P.
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Myelinated axons are covered with a fatty substance called myelin, which is produced by glial cells (Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system). This myelin sheath is not continuous; it has gaps called nodes Show more…
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Describe how an action potential propagates along a myelinated and an unmyelinated axon, including how the potential is spread along the membrane. What two benefits do myelinated axons have over unmyelinated ones? Provide one way in which a myelinated axon is similar to an electrical wire and one way in which an axon is different than a wire. How are these two processes similar and how are they different? Why does multiple sclerosis (MS) prevent transmission in myelinated axons (that is, why can’t these axons just propagate the action potential in the same way that an unmyelinated axon does)?
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