The process of formation of the bilipid myelin layer around the axon. This process further ensures the rapid transfer of information necessary for cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functions. Myelination begins during the embryonic period and continues after birth.
Myelin is a modified extension of the processes of oligodendroglial cells. The oligodendrocyte is a key cell in CNS myelination and is the predominant type of neuroglia in white matter. The myelin sheath consists of multiple segments of myelin that wrap around the axon. This shell is capable of conducting an action potential with its increase along the axon due to Ranvier intercepts, which are unmyelinated regions containing sodium ion channels – they are responsible for accelerating the PD along the axon. Myelin is also in some symbiosis with the axon. Myelin is involved in the metabolic transformations of its components and contains a large number of myelin enzymes. Myelin also plays a role in ion transport, which contributes to the buffering of ions around the axon.