Myelin Sheath Gap
Myelin sheath gaps or nodes of Ranvier are the gaps (approximately 1 micrometer in length) formed between the myelin sheaths generated by different cells. A myelin sheath is a many-layered coating, largely composed of a fatty substance called myelin, that wraps around the axon of a neuron and very efficiently insulates it. At nodes of Ranvier, the axonal membrane is uninsulated and therefore capable of generating electrical activity.
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Famous quotes containing the word gap:
“The gap between the committed and the indifferent is a Sahara whose faint trails, followed by the minds eye only, fade out in sand.”
—Nadine Gordimer (b. 1923)