What layer of fatty tissue speeds neural transmission?

• A. Object Permanence
• B. Dendrite
• C. Myelin Sheath
• D. Axon

Answer: (C)

The layer of fatty tissue that speeds neural transmission is the myelin sheath. This insulating wrap surrounds many axons and is made by glial cells. By insulating the axon, it prevents currents from leaking and allows the electrical signal to jump quickly from one gap, called a node of Ranvier, to the next in a process known as saltatory conduction. This jumping speeds up how fast the message travels along the neuron. Without myelin, signals would travel much more slowly as depolarization would have to occur along every part of the membrane.

Dendrites are the parts of a neuron that receive signals, not where speed is increased. The axon does the conducting, but the myelin sheath specifically enhances speed. Object permanence is a cognitive concept unrelated to how neural signaling is sped up.