node of Ranvier
Sign in to saveAlso known as GO:0033268, Nodes of Ranvier, Ranvier's Nodes
axon part that is a gap in the myelin where voltage-gated sodium channels cluster and saltatory conduction takes place
Key facts
- System
- Nervous system
- Location
- Myelinated axon of a nerve
- Latin
- incisura myelini
- Mesh
- D011901
- Th
- H2.00.06.2.03015
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Gray631.png
Show 3 more facts
- exact match
- purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GO_0033268
- Commons category
- Nodes of Ranvier
- native label
- incisura myelini
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Nodes of Ranvier (/ˈrɑːn.vi.eɪ/, RAHN-vee-ay), also known as myelin-sheath gaps, occur along a myelinated axon where the axolemma is exposed to the extracellular space. Nodes of Ranvier are uninsulated axonal domains that are high in sodium and potassium ion channels complexed with cell adhesion molecules, allowing them to participate in the exchange of ions required to regenerate the action potential. Nerve conduction in myelinated axons is referred to as saltatory conduction (from Latin saltus 'leap, jump') due to the manner in which the action potential seems to "jump" from one node to the next along the axon. This results in faster conduction of the action potential. The nodes of Ranvier are present in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Overview
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “node of Ranvier” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.