Which glial cells produce the myelin sheath in the central nervous system?

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Multiple Choice

Which glial cells produce the myelin sheath in the central nervous system?

In the central nervous system, myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes. These glial cells extend their processes to wrap around multiple nearby axons, creating insulated segments along each axon. This insulation speeds nerve impulses through saltatory conduction, where signals jump from one node of Ranvier to the next. Schwann cells perform the same insulating role, but only in the peripheral nervous system, and they typically myelinate a single axon segment. Microglia act as immune cells that clear debris and respond to injury, not myelinate axons. Neuroglia is a broad umbrella term for glial cells, not a specific myelinating cell type.

In the central nervous system, myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes. These glial cells extend their processes to wrap around multiple nearby axons, creating insulated segments along each axon. This insulation speeds nerve impulses through saltatory conduction, where signals jump from one node of Ranvier to the next. Schwann cells perform the same insulating role, but only in the peripheral nervous system, and they typically myelinate a single axon segment. Microglia act as immune cells that clear debris and respond to injury, not myelinate axons. Neuroglia is a broad umbrella term for glial cells, not a specific myelinating cell type.

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