The nodes of Ranvier are

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To understand the question, let's recall what the nodes of Ranvier are in the context of myelinated neurons.
Option 1: Breaks in the myelin covering. This is the correct conceptual description, since nodes of Ranvier are the gaps between adjacent myelin segments where the axon membrane is exposed. These gaps are rich in voltage-gated sodium channels and are essential for saltatory conduction, allowing rapid action potential propagation.
Option 2: Specialised cells. This would be inaccurate because the nodes themselves are not a type of cell; they are gaps along the axon where myelin is absent, created by the surrounding glial cells (Schwann cells in peripheral nerves, oligodendrocytes in the CNS).
Option 3: Lipid paths. This term does not accurately describe the nodes. While myelin is lipid-rich, referring to the nodes as lipid paths is imprecise and misleading; the key feature is the gap in myelin with functional implications for ion flow.
Option 4: Action potential recordings. Nodes are not recordings; they are anatomical locations on the neuron. While researchers may record electrical activity at nodes, the nodes themselves are not recordings but structural points of the axon interface with extracellular space.
In summary, the essential fact is that the nodes of Ranvier are gaps—breaks—in the myelin covering that enable efficient, rapid conduction by exposing the axonal membrane to the extracellular environment.

ANSC20001_2025_SM1 Week 4 - The nervous system & neurons (Example MCQs)

The nodes of Ranvier are

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