myelin

my·e·lin | \ ˈmī-ə-lən

How to pronounce myelin (audio)

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Definition of myelin

: a soft white material that forms a thick layer around the axons of some neurons and is composed chiefly of lipids (such as cerebroside and cholesterol), water, and smaller amounts of protein

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Examples of myelin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One of the most surprising of these new findings involves myelin. — R. Douglas Fields, Scientific American, "The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways," 12 Mar. 2020 Drugs that control myelin production could provide new approaches to treating these problems. — R. Douglas Fields, Scientific American, "The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways," 12 Mar. 2020 The outer layer of myelin is attached to the axon adjacent to the perinodal astrocytes. — R. Douglas Fields, Scientific American, "The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways," 12 Mar. 2020 His research shows that when a mouse’s ears lose the myelin that insulates the neurons, the critter experiences the symptoms of hidden hearing loss, even though its synapses are fine. — Popular Science, "Hidden hearing loss is hitting people of all ages. Neuroscientists are still debating why.," 21 Jan. 2020 Many misophonics have more myelin (which insulates neurons and speeds the spread of information) than average in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with quick decision-making. — Popular Science, "Unlocking the mysterious ecstasy of ASMR—and its agonizing cousin," 18 Dec. 2019 Metachromatic leukodystrophy is the result of a genetic mutation, and leads to a breakdown of the protective covering around nerve cells and nerve fibers, known as myelin. — Lisa Schencker, chicagotribune.com, "No. No. No. No. No. An insurer rejected out-of-state treatment for a 4-year-old’s rare disease five times. It relented, but why is getting an OK so hard?," 15 Nov. 2019 Without myelin, crucial signals between the brain and the body become garbled or simply go missing entirely. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "The Inward Empire," 27 June 2018 But when myelin becomes inflamed, perhaps due to a virus, that signal gets disrupted. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "Mysterious paralyzing illness leaves Washington families reeling," 19 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'myelin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Myelin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myelin. Accessed 27 May. 2020.

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