Oligodendrocytes make myelin (the protective layer) in the healthy brain and in response to injury. Much like the insulation around an electrical wire, myelin allows electrical impulses to move rapidly from one cell to the next.
According to an animal study published in the Sep 4 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, these findings could one day lead scientists to new insights about the role sleep plays in brain repair and growth, reports Science Daily.
