Word parts
What it means
Myelin works like the plastic coating on an electric wire. Nerve signals jump along a myelinated fiber much faster than along a bare one. When myelin is damaged, signals slow down or stop, as in multiple sclerosisMUL-tih-pul skluh-ROH-sisA long-term disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.scler/o hard-osis conditionFull entry (in the brain and spinal cord) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (in the nerves of the body).
At a glance
| Spanish | mielina |
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Related terms
multiple sclerosis
A long-term disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
neuron
A nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.
myel/o
A word root that means spinal cord or bone marrow.