Translations:Axon/6/en

The potential across the membrane is created by the presence of different ions on either side of the membrane. to maintain the potential, ion channels are employed to keep the concentrations stable. In order to propagate the action potential, the ion channels allow more positively charged ions to flow into the cell and negatively charged ions to flow out.

Myelin Sheath

The squid giant axon is large because it increases the speed that the action potential moves along the axon. Another mechanism that has evolved to increase the action potential speed is myelin sheaths. Myelin sheaths consist of glial membranes that are wound multiple times around an axon. Myelin works by insulating the axon from the surrounding environment. Instead of the depolarization occurring at every point along the axons's length, it only happens at breaks in the myelin, called the nodes of Ranvier.