node of Ranvier

American  

[rahn-vyey, rahn-vyey] / rɑnˈvyeɪ, ˈrɑn vyeɪ /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a gap occurring at regular intervals between segments of myelin sheath along a nerve axon.

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node of Ranvier British  

/ ˈrɑːnvɪˌeɪ /

noun

1. any of the gaps that occur at regular intervals along the length of the sheath of a myelinated nerve fibre, at which the axon is exposed

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Etymology

Origin of node of Ranvier

1880–85; after Louis-Antoine Ranvier (1835–1922), French histologist, who described it in 1878

Example Sentences

Also, as a node of Ranvier becomes squeezed more tightly by the adjoining myelin segments, an electrical impulse is initiated more rapidly because it takes less time to charge the smaller amount of nodal membrane to the voltage that triggers ion channels to open and generate an impulse.

From Scientific American

Surrounding the node of Ranvier is a glial cell called an astrocyte.

From Scientific American

But until recently, myelin biologists tended to ignore the unique type of astrocyte that contacts an axon at a node of Ranvier.

From Scientific American

The myelin sheath is attached to the axon by a spiral junction flanking the node of Ranvier.

From Scientific American

As the myelin lifts off the axon, the amount of bare axon at the node of Ranvier increases.

From Scientific American