myelin sheath
1
7.2
- noun
- /ˈmaɪəlɪn ʃiːθ/
- Specialized
:
vaina de mielina
- Damage to the myelin sheath can lead to neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis.
You need You need cholesterol for your axons and your myelin sheaths.
- You need You need cholesterol for your axons and your myelin sheaths.
- There's no research to support that your neurons, your cell membranes, and your myelin sheaths are all made out of fat.
Examples
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The myelin sheath is essential for the swift transmission of nerve signals.
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This is called the myelin sheath of a nerve.
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You use the fat to make myelin sheaths around every Axon in your body.
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Surrounding the Axon is a myelin sheath, which is actually just insulation.
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One possible effect of long-term use is the destruction of the protective coating surrounding nerves called the myelin sheath.
Blog text (14) -
As a timing mechanism, the structure of the myelin sheath affects the speed and coordination of how axons carry neuronal messages.
Academic text (2015) -
Decreases in the myelin sheath cause slowing of the conduction of electrical impulses in older neurons.
Academic text (2012) -
While strokes are the most common cause of the condition, brain injuries, circulatory diseases, medication overdoses, and diseases that destroy the myelin sheath around nerves can all cause locked-in syndrome as well.
Blog text (1) -
Doctors monitor the integrity of the myelin sheath to assess nerve health.
Synonyms
7
8.6
A white fatty layer around nerve fibers that helps signals travel quickly
A thin fatty layer that covers nerve fibers and helps signals travel faster
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'sheath' means a covering and 'myelin' names the insulating substance, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer this is the insulating covering made of myelin around nerve fibres. The modifier–head structure (material + covering) is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, making the overall meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Myelin sheath comes from the image of myelin, a fatty material, forming a sheath or cover that wraps a nerve like insulation around a wire. That's why it 'insulates' the nerve and helps signals 'move faster'.