my·e·lin (m   -l n) also my·e·line (-ln, -l n )n. A white fatty material, composed chiefly of lipids and lipoproteins, that encloses certain axons and nerve fibers. Also called medulla. my e·linic adj. |
myelin [ˈmaɪɪlɪn], myeline [ˈmaɪɪˌliːn]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) a white tissue forming an insulating sheath (myelin sheath) around certain nerve fibres. Damage to the myelin sheath causes neurological disease, as in multiple sclerosis
myelinic adj
| myelin (m-ln) A whitish, fatty substance that forms a sheath around many vertebrate nerve fibers. Myelin insulates the nerves and permits the rapid transmission of nerve impulses. The white matter of the brain is composed of nerve fibers covered in myelin. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  myelin - a white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibersmedullary sheath, myelin sheath - a layer of myelin encasing (and insulating) the axons of medullated nerve fibers fat - a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides); "pizza has too much fat" |
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