Talk:Mesaxon

Correct Definition

I'm not exactly sure if the definition of mesaxon on here is correct, but I know for a fact that Schwann cells only myelinate ONE axon, not multiple. Schwann cells are in the peripheral nervous system, and myelinate one or part of one axon. Oligodendrocytes are in the central nervous system, and myelinate multiple axons (usually not entire axons). The two cells are distinct, and are being confused in this article somehow. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.134.201.96 (talk • contribs) 15:35, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure what confusion may have been present in the article when you read it, but, the article now states what you have indicated about Schwann cells and Oligodendrocytes myelinating one and many axons, respectively: "A single Schwann cell of the peripheral nervous system will wrap around and support only one individual axon (then myelinated; ratio of 1:1), while the oligodendrocytes found in the central nervous system can wrap around and support 5-8 axons.". UnderEducatedGeezer (talk) 09:41, 6 May 2019 (UTC)

I find the description here of the mesaxon CONFUSING. Needs pictures.

The article could probably use significant improvement. I think that to adequately explain this concept, pictures are a necessity! I have found some pictures which I think are helpful, but I have no idea how to get permission to use them here. And I'm not sure what, "marking the point of edge-to-edge contact by the Schwann cell encircling the axon." even means. I think the mesaxon is made up of surfaces, not edges? For pictures illustrating the mesaxon :

1. One picture can be found at the bottom of the page at http://jcb.rupress.org/content/jcb/4/1/39.full.pdf#page=4 , which is a paper presented by the The Journal of Cell Biology by Rockefeller University Press. It's figure 3. (I think the paper was originally published in the THE JOURNAL OF BIOPHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CYTOLOGY 1958, Vol. 4, No. 1).
2. Another picture may be found at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1164305/ . A bigger picture from the same Journal may be found at the bottom of the page at https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC1164305&blobtype=pdf#page=2 , which seems to be a Journal of Anatomy (J.Anat.(1984),138,1,pp.1-14); the picture is figure 2, at the bottom of page 2.
3. A picture containing a depiction of a mesaxon of unmyelinated fibers can be found at: http://jcb.rupress.org/content/jcb/4/4/349.full.pdf#page=2 . (The mesaxon in this picture is the two 'lips' at the right side of the picture at axon "d", circled and lettered 'm'.)

I hope someone can figure out how to improve this article. UnderEducatedGeezer (talk) 10:56, 18 June 2019 (UTC)