Cell Component
myelin sheath
my·e·lin sheath [ mahy-uh-lin sheeth ]
Subclass of:
Cell Membrane Structures; Myelinated nerve fiber; Oligodendroglia; Schwann Cells; Nerve Tissue
Definitions related to myelin sheath:
  • (myelin) The fatty substance that covers and protects nerves.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A layer of phospholipids and protein found on neuronal axons. This structure acts as an electrical insulator that allows nerve impulses to travel faster by increasing the resistance and decreasing the capacitance over that found in unmyelinated nerve fibers.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • An electrically insulating fatty layer that surrounds the axons of many neurons. It is an outgrowth of glial cells: Schwann cells supply the myelin for peripheral neurons while oligodendrocytes supply it to those of the central nervous system.
    Gene Ontology Dictionary
    Gene Ontology Consortium, 2021
  • Cell appendage of a Schwann cell or an oligodendroctye which wraps around a zone of an axon; it is a shared part between the axon and the glial cell (Schwann cell or oligodenrocyte).
    Foundational Model of Anatomy
    University of Washington, 2017
  • The lipid-rich sheath surrounding AXONS in both the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEMS and PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. The myelin sheath is an electrical insulator and allows faster and more energetically efficient conduction of impulses. The sheath is formed by the cell membranes of glial cells (SCHWANN CELLS in the peripheral and OLIGODENDROGLIA in the central nervous system). Deterioration of the sheath in DEMYELINATING DISEASES is a serious clinical problem.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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