A myelinated axon is a feature of which tissue type?

A myelinated axon is a feature of which tissue type?

• A. Skeletal muscle tissue
• B. Connective tissue
• C. Nervous tissue
• D. Cardiac muscle tissue

Answer: (C)

Nervous tissue. Myelinated axons are a defining feature of neurons within the nervous system. The myelin sheath is produced by glial cells—oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system—and it speeds up electrical signaling by enabling saltatory conduction along the axon. Skeletal and cardiac muscle are contractile tissues, and connective tissue provides support; neither is defined by having myelinated axons. So a myelinated axon clearly points to nervous tissue.

Nervous tissue. Myelinated axons are a defining feature of neurons within the nervous system. The myelin sheath is produced by glial cells—oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system—and it speeds up electrical signaling by enabling saltatory conduction along the axon. Skeletal and cardiac muscle are contractile tissues, and connective tissue provides support; neither is defined by having myelinated axons. So a myelinated axon clearly points to nervous tissue.