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Myelin's best known function is to increase the rate at which information, encoded as electrical charges, passes along the axon's length. Myelin achieves this by eliciting saltatory conduction. [1] Saltatory conduction refers to the fact that electrical impulses 'jump' along the axon, over long myelin sheaths, from one node of Ranvier to the next.
Oligodendrocytes are a type of glial cell, non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system.They arise during development from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), [8] which can be identified by their expression of a number of antigens, including the ganglioside GD3, [9] [10] [11] the NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and the platelet-derived growth factor-alpha receptor subunit (PDGF ...
The rest of the brain tissue is the structural stroma that includes connective tissue such as the meninges, blood vessels, and ducts. The two main types of cells in the brain are neurons, also known as nerve cells, and glial cells, also known as neuroglia. [1] There are many types of neuron, and several types of glial cell.
Glial cells maintain homeostasis, produce myelin (oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells), and provide support and protection for the brain's neurons. Some glial cells ( astrocytes ) can even propagate intercellular calcium waves over long distances in response to stimulation, and release gliotransmitters in response to changes in calcium concentration.
White matter is composed of bundles, which connect various grey matter areas (the locations of nerve cell bodies) of the brain to each other, and carry nerve impulses between neurons. Myelin acts as an insulator, which allows electrical signals to jump , rather than coursing through the axon, increasing the speed of transmission of all nerve ...
Alpha-synuclein is a synuclein protein primarily found in neural tissue, making up as much as one percent of all proteins in the cytosol of brain cells. [17] It is expressed highly in neurons within the frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and olfactory bulb, [17] but can also be found in the non-neuronal glial cells. [18]
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The enteric nervous system functions to control the gastrointestinal system. Nerves that exit from the brain are called cranial nerves while those exiting from the spinal cord are called spinal nerves. The nervous system consists of nervous tissue which, at a cellular level, is defined by the presence of a special type of cell, called the ...