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Related Concept Videos

Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Nervous Tissue: Myelin01:25

Nervous Tissue: Myelin

The myelin sheath is a multilayered lipid and protein covering that insulates the axon of a neuron, enhancing the speed of nerve impulse conduction. Axons without this sheath are referred to as unmyelinated. Two types of neuroglia, Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for producing myelin sheaths.
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation01:28

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Preparation and Immunostaining of Myelinating Organotypic Cerebellar Slice Cultures
09:41

Preparation and Immunostaining of Myelinating Organotypic Cerebellar Slice Cultures

Published on: March 20, 2019

Do Action Potentials Regulate Myelination?

Bernard Zalc1, R Douglas Fields

  • 1Biologie des Interactions Neurones-Glie, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U-495, Université P. M. Curie, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France (BZ), Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (RDF).

The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry
|May 8, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nervous system activity, specifically impulse activity, is essential for initiating and regulating myelination. Different frequencies of neural impulses influence myelination through distinct molecular mechanisms during development.

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Organotypic Slice Cultures to Study Oligodendrocyte Dynamics and Myelination
09:45

Organotypic Slice Cultures to Study Oligodendrocyte Dynamics and Myelination

Published on: August 25, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Preparation and Immunostaining of Myelinating Organotypic Cerebellar Slice Cultures
09:41

Preparation and Immunostaining of Myelinating Organotypic Cerebellar Slice Cultures

Published on: March 20, 2019

Organotypic Slice Cultures to Study Oligodendrocyte Dynamics and Myelination
09:45

Organotypic Slice Cultures to Study Oligodendrocyte Dynamics and Myelination

Published on: August 25, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Anatomical evidence suggests nervous system activity influences myelination.
  • Direct experimental evidence linking neural activity to myelination has been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of impulse activity in the initiation and regulation of myelination.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which neural activity impacts myelination.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized neurotoxins to modulate action potential activity in developing optic nerves.
  • Employed electrical stimulation to control impulse activity in dorsal root ganglion neurons.
  • Assessed changes in myelination and expression of key molecular markers.

Main Results:

  • Neurotoxin studies indicated impulse activity is necessary for initiating optic nerve myelination.
  • Low-frequency electrical stimulation inhibited dorsal root ganglion neuron myelination.
  • High-frequency stimulation showed no effect, linked to reduced expression of a critical cell adhesion molecule.

Conclusions:

  • Neural impulse activity plays a crucial role in regulating myelination.
  • Distinct molecular mechanisms mediate the influence of impulse activity at different stages of myelination.
  • These findings provide direct evidence for activity-dependent myelination.