nodes of Ranvier
What nodes of Ranvier means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of nodes of Ranvier
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Reference: AQA
Short gaps between adjacent Schwann cells where the axon membrane is exposed to tissue fluid and voltage-gated sodium ion channels are concentrated.
The points where ions can cross the membrane, because the sheath insulates most of the membrane elsewhere.
Topics that use nodes of Ranvier
- Nerve impulses (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- absolute refractory period
- axon and dendrites
- depolarisation
- differential membrane permeability
- local currents
- maximum impulse frequency
- myelin sheath
- relative refractory period
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