Myelin is imperative for the functioning of adequate conduction velocity speed in axons. Myelin is made of water, lipids and proteins and appears white in color. This combination of lipids and proteins form a whitish protective cover or sheath over the axon of numerous nerve fibers. This sheath covering the axon speeds up the impulses that are being conducted, which is important in the transmission of impulses in our body. Without myelin speeding up conduction, the impulses would decelerate. When this happens neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis arise. Myelin works by insulating our nerves axons and building “specialized molecular structures at small, uncovered gaps in the sheath, which are referred to as the nodes of Ranvier.
