Question

When a cranial nerve exits the CNS, what is the area that changes from oligodendrocyte myelination to schwann cell myelination of the PNS called?

1) Obersteiner-Redlich Zone
2) Schwann Cell Zone
3) Myelin Transition Zone
4) Axon Conduction Zone

Answer 1

The area where myelination changes from oligodendrocytes in the CNS to Schwann cells in the PNS at the point where a cranial nerve exits the CNS is called the Obersteiner-Redlich Zone.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a cranial nerve exits the central nervous system (CNS), the area where there is a transition from oligodendrocyte myelination to Schwann cell myelination of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is called the Obersteiner-Redlich Zone. This zone represents the interface between the CNS and PNS myelination, where the type of glial cells responsible for producing the myelin sheath changes. In the CNS, oligodendrocytes myelinate several axon segments, whereas in the PNS, Schwann cells myelinate only one axon segment, thereby reflecting a differentiation in function between the two glial cell types.