Nerve fibers

Function: conduction of action potential.

Myelinated nerve fibers

Function: rapid conduction of action potential.

Location: central nervous system (white matter), peripheral nervous system

Composition: rich in lipids

• Nerve axon
• Myelin sheath (neurilemma, sheath of Schwann, oligodendrocytes) with nodes of Ranvier and Schmidt-Lanterman clefts

Unmyelinated (bare) nerve fibers

Function: slow conduction of action potential.

Location: central nervous system (gray matter), peripheral nervous system (autonomic, visceral nervous system)

• Nerve axon

• Oligodendrocytes