In myelinated neurons, action potentials propagate through a process called saltatory conduction. Myelin sheaths, produced by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, insulate segments of the axon. Action potentials jump from one node of Ranvier to the next, where the axon membrane is exposed and rich in ion channels. This results in faster transmission compared to continuous conduction in unmyelinated neurons.
