Final answer:
A node, or Node of Ranvier, is a gap in the myelin sheath on nerve fibers that contains ion channels and allows for rapid action potential propagation, a process known as saltatory conduction. The term 'antinode' is not typically applied to neuronal function but relates to maximal points of a wave in physics.
Step-by-step explanation:
A node, also known as a Node of Ranvier, is a gap in the myelin sheath of a nerve fiber where the axon is exposed. Formation of nodes involves the myelination process where oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) wrap around the axon leaving these intermittent gaps. Nodes contain a high density of voltage-gated sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels that allow for the generation and propagation of action potentials down the axon. This mode of transmission is known as saltatory conduction.
An antinode is a term not typically used in neuronal physiology but rather in physics, where it refers to a point in a standing wave where the maximum amplitude occurs. So for neurons, the mentioned 'antinode' does not accurately define a biological structure or function. Instead, the term we might use in neuroscience related to action potentials is the axon terminal, which is the end of an axon where synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft to communicate with another neuron or target cell.