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

Prepare for the VTCT Level 2 Facial and Skincare Test. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, accompanied by insightful explanations. Ace your assessment with confidence!

Schwann cells produce the myelin sheath in the peripheral nervous system. They wrap their membranes around a single axon segment, creating a myelin sheath that increases the speed of electrical impulses through saltatory conduction at the gaps called nodes of Ranvier. This specialization is specific to the PNS; in the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes handle myelination, with each oligodendrocyte able to myelinate multiple axons. Neurons themselves are the signaling cells and do not generate myelin. Neuroglia is a broad term for glial support cells, but it isn’t the specific myelinating cell in the PNS. Schwann cells also play a role in nerve repair after injury by guiding axonal regrowth.