Myelin is a multilayered wrapping of glial cell membrane around segments of an axon. Its lipid-rich layers increase electrical insulation and reduce effective membrane capacitance, helping local electric current reach the next node of Ranvier. Action potentials are regenerated at these gaps, producing saltatory conduction.[ref]
Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts and others. Sections 12.2, Myelin; 12.4, Propagation of the Action Potential
A Schwann cell makes one myelinated segment in the peripheral nervous system; an oligodendrocyte can supply segments on several axons in the central nervous system. The thickness and spacing of myelin affect signal timing. In a mouse experiment, altered visual experience changed myelin segment length and optic nerve conduction, linking experience to the physical geometry of neural transmission.[ref]
Dynamic Modulation of Myelination in Response to Visual Stimuli Alters Optic Nerve Conduction Velocity by Ainhoa Etxeberria and others. Results: visual deprivation, internode length and conduction velocity
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