What is saltatory conduction?

Motor neurones have a myelin sheath made of Shwann cells. It's an electrical insulator meaning action potentials cannot pass through them. Along the axon there are gaps where there's no myelin sheath, called the 'Nodes of Ranvier'. Depolarisation of a neurone only occurs at these nodes and the cytoplasm of the neurone conducts enough of an action potential for the depolarisation to 'jump' along the nodes of the axon. This is called 'saltatory condution' and means that the impulse travels along the axon a lot faster on a myelinated neurone than a non-myelinated one as the imuplse doesn't have to travel along the whole length of the axon.

EB
Answered by Emily B. Biology tutor

3516 Views

See similar Biology A Level tutors

Related Biology A Level answers

All answers ▸

Explain why an artery may be described as an organ.


Explain the process of Glycolysis and the products required and formed at each stage?


What is the significance of performing mouth-to-mouth breaths during CPR?


Can explain the process of polypeptide synthesis in the cell?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning