Tissue
myelin Audio
my·e·lin [ mahy-uh-lin ]
Etymology:
Greek myelos = marrow, the ending -in
Definitions related to myelin:
  • A fatty material that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Fatty, axon-enwrapping sheath that serves to speed up neural conduction, formed by concentric layers of Schwann's cell (peripheral) or oligodendrocyte (CNS) membranes; loss or damage leads to severe loss of neural function, as in multiple sclerosis.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Myelin, white, insulating sheath on the axon of many neurons. Composed of fatty materials, protein, and water, the myelin sheath is deposited in layers around axons by Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system and by a type of neuroglia called an oligodendrocyte in the central nervous system....
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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