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Glite Dictionary
myelinated nerve fiber

myelinated nerve fiber

5.8
A long thin part of a nerve that has a fatty layer that makes signals travel faster
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪəˌlɪneɪtɪd nɜrv ˈfaɪbər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fibra nerviosa mielinizada
  • The transmission of signals in myelinated nerve fibers is faster than in unmyelinated ones.

Examples

  • Damage to myelinated nerve fibers can lead to severe neurological disorders.

  • Myelinated nerve fibers are essential for efficient communication between different parts of the nervous system.

  • Blocking by riluzole of inactivated sodium channels in frog myelinated nerve fibers is also unlikely to be related to glutamate.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The use of low amplitude and short (210 ms) stimuli ensures preferential depolarization of larger myelinated nerve fibers.

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

medullated nerve fiber
vsmyelinated nerve fiber
  • Specialized
6.5

A nerve fiber covered by a fatty layer that makes nerve signals travel faster

is the same concept but expressed with a different technical term

Surface Forms

myelinated nerve fiber singular
myelinated nerve fibers plural

Morphology

myelinated + nerve + fiber

The phrase is fully compositional: the adjective 'myelinated' (having a myelin sheath) directly modifies 'nerve fiber', so the meaning 'a nerve fiber surrounded by myelin that conducts impulses more quickly' is derivable from the constituents. This follows standard English adjective + noun composition and is analogous to similar constructions in other languages, so a learner who knows the component words would understand it.

Etymology

Myelinated nerve fiber is like a thin nerve fiber wrapped in a fatty myelinated cover, like an insulated wire. That cover acts like insulation so 'signals travel faster' along the nerve, and that is why the name means these fibers carry messages quickly.