title: Myelination.
abstract: Myelin is a key evolutionary acquisition that underlay the development of the large, complex nervous systems of all hinged-jaw vertebrates. By promoting rapid, efficient nerve conduction, myelination also made possible the development of the large body size of these vertebrates. In addition to increasing the speed of nerve conduction, myelination has emerged as a source of plasticity in neural circuits that is crucial for proper timing and function. Here, we briefly describe the organization of myelin and of myelinated axons, as well as the functions of myelin in nerve conduction and neural circuits, and consider its potential evolutionary origins.
authors: New York University School of Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: james.salzer@nyumc.org.
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Salzer
authors: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Paris06, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM), GH Pitie-Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris cedex 13, France. Electronic address: bernard.zalc@upmc.fr.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Zalc
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*