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Compact Myelin Essay

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Myelin is a spiral structure made of extensions of the plasma membrane of myelinating cells (Bunge et al, 1962; Peters et al., 1964). Myelin sheaths enwrap axonal regions forming the so called internodes, in a form of alternating concentric layers consisting of compact and non-compact myelin (Bunge et al, 1962; Peters et al., 1964; Baumann and Pham-Dinh, 2001) (Fig. 2.2). Compact myelin contains plasma membranes that are in close apposition, contain only little cytoplasm and comprise the majority of the internode. Regarding its composition, compact myelin is poorly hydrated, containing 40% water and its dry weight consists of 70% lipids and 30% proteins (Baumann and Pham-Dinh, 2001). Phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol are the major …show more content…

The Schmidt-Lanterman incisures form uncompact clefts that extend across the entire sheath, allowing the connection of outside to inside cytoplasm domains. Paranodal loops are flanking membrane loops each of them contacting the axon to form a paranodal region part (Poliak and Peles, 2003). The juxtaparanodal regions are arranged under the compact myelin and are essential for the clustering of ion channels what will be discussed below (Peles and Salzer, 2000; Rasband and Shrager, 2000) (Fig. …show more content…

2.2). These axonal regions contain high densities of voltage gated sodium (Na+) channels, while potassium channels are restricted in the juxtaparanodal region (Kaplan et al., 1997; Peles and Salzer, 2000; Rasband and Shrager, 2000; Kaplan et al., 2001). The isolation properties and the segmental formation of myelin, leading to the clustering of the ion channels, enable the saltatory conduction of electrical nerve pulses. Pulses are jumping from node to node, instead of progressing slowly along the whole axonal surface as along unmyelinated axons (Huxley and Stampfli, 1949). As a result the conduction velocity along myelinated axons is 10 to 100-fold faster as compared to unmyelinated ones (Waxman, 1980), while the energy consumption is reduced (Waxman, 1977; Hartline and Colman,

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