myelinaatioon

Myelination is the process by which nerve cells, or neurons, become covered in a fatty insulating sheath called myelin. This myelin sheath is produced by specialized glial cells, oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. Myelination is crucial for efficient nerve impulse transmission. The myelin sheath acts like insulation on an electrical wire, preventing the electrical signal from leaking out and allowing it to travel much faster along the axon, the long projection of a neuron.

This process begins during fetal development and continues into adolescence and early adulthood. Different parts of the nervous system myelinate at different rates. For instance, sensory and motor pathways tend to myelinate earlier than areas involved in higher cognitive functions like the prefrontal cortex. Myelination significantly improves the speed and accuracy of neural communication, which is essential for a wide range of functions including movement, sensation, learning, and memory. Disorders that involve damage to the myelin sheath, known as demyelinating diseases, can severely impair neurological function. Multiple sclerosis is a well-known example of such a disease. The presence and integrity of myelin are therefore fundamental to a healthy nervous system.