Background
Myelination is formed by myelin on the parts of a nerve. Myelin is a material that is dielectric and forms a round layer, the myelin sheath, on a neuron’s axon. This mostly comprises the nerve structure. Myelin is made by the Schwann cells and oligodendrogliocytes (Luciana & Nelson, 35). Myelination is the production of the myelin sheath. It begins at the 14th week of the development of the fetus in humans. Myelination takes place in the optic nerve briefly before birth. Little myelin is found in the brain of an infant when it’s born. Myelination then increases as the child grows increases even through the stage of adolescence.
Conduction velocity
Is the conduction velocity taking place in the nerves? The nerves usually transmit information using action potential (Brown, Miller, and Eason, 590). Nerves are made to conduct electrical impulses over long distances throughout the body to the brain.
The conduction is dependent on the stimulus whether it is low or above the threshold. A low stimulus indicates that there is no action potential.
When above the threshold it remains the same size and does not change even for stronger stimuli. The stimuli may be electricity, touch, stretch, pressure, chemical among others.
Conclusion
Myelination is the sheath covering the axon of a neuron. In a myelinated nerve, the impulses hop from the nod to nod (Brown, 42). Myelination is advantageous in that it causes the conduction velocity to rise from 10 to 100 times the conduction velocity in ordinary nerves.
Hence, myelination increases the conduction velocity significantly. In a myelinated nerve, the conduction velocity is close or 100 m/s. Myelination increases conduction velocity because it increases the axon diameter since the conduction velocity is directly proportional to the fiber’s diameter. In addition, it decreases capacitance hence the electrotonic con.
References
Luciana, M, & Nelson, CA 2001, Handbook of developmental cognitive neuroscience. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Brown, SP, Miller, WC, & Eason, JM 2006, Exercise physiology: basis of human movement in health and disease. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.
Brown, AG 2001, Nerve cells and nervous systems: an introduction to neuroscience. Springer, London.