CMTO Practice Test 2026 - Free Massage Therapy Practice Questions and Study Guide

Nodes of Ranvier are gaps in the myelin sheath that expose the axon membrane in myelinated peripheral nerves. These exposed regions harbor a high density of voltage-gated Na+ channels, so each node can regenerate the action potential as it passes. The myelin between nodes insulates the axon, reducing membrane capacitance and increasing resistance, which allows the impulse to jump from node to node—saltatory conduction—greatly speeding transmission. They are not sites of neurotransmitter release; release occurs at synaptic terminals. In short, this statement is true: the gaps enable saltatory conduction in peripheral neurons.