This significant boost in speed is mostly attributable to the fact that the laborious process of action potential generation only takes place at certain locations along the axon, known as nodes of Ranvier, where there is a gap in the myelin sheath.
If an axon's whole surface were insulated, there would be nowhere for current to exit the axon and no way to produce action potentials. As it happens, a Ranvier action potential at one node causes passive current to flow within the myelinated segment until it reaches the next node.
Following the generation of an action potential in the adjacent segment by the local current flow, the cycle is repeated all the way along the length of the axon.
Saltatory propagation refers to the action potential hopping from node to node since current only crosses the neural membrane at the nodes. Not surprisingly, disorders like multiple sclerosis that induce myelin loss also cause other major neurological issues.
To learn more about myelinated axon from given link
https://brainly.com/question/690266
#SPJ4
