Final answer:
Saltatory conduction is facilitated by the myelin sheath and is a highly efficient method for the rapid transmission of electrical impulses along myelinated axons, with the action potential jumping from node to node.
Step-by-step explanation:
Saltatory conduction is made possible primarily by the myelin sheath that insulates axons in the nervous system. Myelin enables the action potential to 'jump' from one node of Ranvier to the next, which are small gaps in the myelin sheath where voltage-gated Na+ channels are concentrated. This method of propagation is much faster than in unmyelinated axons, where the action potential must travel the entire length of the axon membrane.
The large diameter of nerve fibers also plays a role in the speed of conduction, as a wider axon allows depolarization to spread more rapidly. Saltatory conduction is thus a highly efficient way for neurons to transmit electrical impulses rapidly and over long distances without the signal weakening, as opposed to continuous conduction in unmyelinated axons.