Nodes of Ranvier - definition

intermittent gaps in the myelin sheaths of axons. Nodes of Ranvier are densely populated with voltage-gated sodium channels; as an action potential reaches each node of Ranvier, these sodium channels open and cause an influx of sodium ions. This regenerates the action potential to prevent it from decaying as it travels down the axon.

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2-Minute Neuroscience: Myelin

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YOUR BRAIN, EXPLAINED

Sleep. Memory. Pleasure. Fear. Language. We experience these things every day, but how do our brains create them? Your Brain, Explained is a personal tour around your gray matter. Building on neuroscientist Marc Dingman’s popular YouTube series, 2-Minute Neuroscience, this is a friendly, engaging introduction to the human brain and its quirks using real-life examples and Dingman’s own, hand-drawn illustrations.

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