Question

Differentiate between Myelinated and non-myelinated axons.

Answer 1

	Myelinated axons	non-myelinated axons
1.	Nerve impulse conduction is saltatory.	Nerve impulse conduction is smooth.
2.	Myelinated axon have a myelin sheath.	Myelin sheath is absent.
3.	Node of Ranvier is present between adjacent myelin sheaths.	Node of Ranvier is absent.
4.	Found in the brain, the spinal cord, the cranial and spinal nerves	Found in autonomous and somatic neural systems
5.	Schwann cells are observed inside the myelin sheath	Schwann cells are not observed inside the myelin sheath
6.	Schwann cells in axons generate myelin sheaths.	The myelin sheath is lacking.
7.	Voltage-gated ion channels are concentrated at the nodes, and depolarization only occurs there.	Voltage-gated ion channels are found throughout the axon, and depolarization occurs along the length of the nerve fibre.
8.	Ion exchange can only happen at the nodes.	Ion exchange happens over the surface.