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Book

Neuroanatomy, Nodes of Ranvier

Michael H. Grider  1 , Cayla Q. Belcea  1 , Benjamin P. Covington  2 , Vamsi Reddy  3 , Sandeep Sharma  4
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Neuroanatomy, Nodes of Ranvier

Michael H. Grider et al.
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Excerpt

Myelin sheaths insulate the axons of nerves. These sheaths are a lipid-rich extension of the plasma membrane produced in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) by Schwann cells and by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). The myelin sheath is regularly interrupted along the length of the axon by specialized regions called the nodes of Ranvier, which are necessary for the propagation of an action potential along the axon. The nodes of Ranvier are essential in the speed and timing of delivery of impulses from one neuron to another, and changes in size or function have the potential to jeopardize the effectiveness of a neuron, contributing to the development of neurological disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Michael Grider declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Cayla Belcea declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Benjamin Covington declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Vamsi Reddy declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Sandeep Sharma declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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    1. Davis JQ, Lambert S, Bennett V. Molecular composition of the node of Ranvier: identification of ankyrin-binding cell adhesion molecules neurofascin (mucin+/third FNIII domain-) and NrCAM at nodal axon segments. J Cell Biol. 1996 Dec;135(5):1355-67. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Poliak S, Peles E. The local differentiation of myelinated axons at nodes of Ranvier. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2003 Dec;4(12):968-80. - PubMed
    1. Rasband MN, Peles E. The Nodes of Ranvier: Molecular Assembly and Maintenance. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2015 Sep 09;8(3):a020495. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nguyen TP, Taylor RS. StatPearls [Internet] StatPearls Publishing; Treasure Island (FL): 2023. Feb 7, Guillain-Barre Syndrome. - PubMed

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