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← Human Body & HealthWhy does autoimmune demyelination in nervous tissue lead to slower action potential propagation?
A)Increased sodium channel density
B)Decreased neuronal resting potential
C)Reduced saltatory conduction efficiency✓
D)Enhanced neurotransmitter receptor sensitivity
💡 Explanation
Demyelination reduces the insulation around nerve fibers, thus it impairs the saltatory conduction mechanism. Action potentials must then propagate continuously along the axon rather than 'jumping' between Nodes of Ranvier, because conduction velocity decreases. Therefore, demyelination leads to slower propagation rather than faster transmission.
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