1. a fatty substance that forms a sheath around nerve fibers, enabling rapid transmission of electrical impulses; also called myelin.
Usage: Also spelled 'myelin' (more common modern spelling).; Technical/medical term used in neuroscience and anatomy.

Examples

• The myeline sheath insulates nerve fibers and speeds up nerve impulses.
• Damage to myeline can result in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
• During development, myeline gradually covers the axons of neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
• The thickness of the myeline layer affects how quickly signals travel along a nerve.