What is saltatory conduction?

• A. Jumping of impulse between nodes of Ranvier
• B. Transmission of signals across chemical synapses
• C. Continuous propagation along an axon
• D. Inhibition at the synaptic cleft

Answer: (A)

Saltatory conduction is the jumping of the nerve impulse from one node of Ranvier to the next along a myelinated axon. Myelin insulates most of the axon, so depolarization doesn’t occur continuously along every part of the membrane; instead, voltage-gated sodium channels are concentrated at the nodes, where depolarization happens. The electrical signal travels quickly through the insulated segments and triggers a new action potential at the next node, producing a rapid, efficient transmission. This is faster than continuous propagation along an unmyelinated axon, where the membrane must depolarize along every point. It isn’t about transmission across chemical synapses or inhibition at the synaptic cleft.