There are two types of support cells that myelinate axons in the nervous system: oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. The difference between these two cell types is their location in the nervous system. Oligodendrocytes myelinate axons in the central nervous system, and Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system.

Ependymal cells secrete cerebrospinal fluid and astrocytes help form and regulate the blood-brain barrier.

Astrocytes are star-shaped cells found between neurons and blood vessels. They cover almost all of the capillaries in the brain and make contact with surfaces of neurons. They make up approximately 50% of the cells in the brain. Astrocytes are responsible for supporting neurons by maintaining the extracellular fluid, facilitating nutrient delivery and waste removal to and from neurons, maintaining the blood-brain barrier, and repairing damaged cells in the central nervous system. Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes are responsible for myelinating axons in the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system, respectively. Microglia are specialized macrophages that remove cellular debris, infectious agents and damaged neurons. Ependymal cells are epithelial-like glial cells in the central nervous system that line the ventricles and produce cerebrospinal fluid.

The myelin sheath is the electrical insulator around neurons that increase the conduction velocity. In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells are responsible for the production of the myelin sheath. It is important to note that in the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes are responsible for producing the myelin sheath. The other cell types are neuroglia that have the following basic functions: astrocytes - support of neurons, damage repair, nutrient delivery/waste removal, ependymal cells - production of cerebrospinal fluid, microglia - immune-like neuroglia.

Microglia are derived from monocytes, which are white blood cells that are found in the blood stream. The microglia are responsible for removing pathogens and cellular debris from the central nervous system.

Astrocytes help form and regulate the blood-brain barrier and ependymal cells secrete cerebrospinal fluid. Satellite cells help modulate the external environment are sensory neurons. Oligodendrocytes are responsible to myelination of the central nervous system.

While both Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells make myelin, oligodendrocytes produce myelin for the central nervous system (CNS), while Schwann cells make myelin in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Oligodendrocytes are a type on neuroglia; their main function is to provide both support and insulation to axons of the CNS via the production of a myelin sheath. A single oligodendrocyte can extend processes to 50 axons, wrapping myelin around each axon. While Schwann cells provide a similar function, they can only wrap around one axon.

Oligodendrocytes help to create myelin sheaths, which help with conduction of signals.

Dendrites are the "branchlike" projections off of the soma of a neuron. Their purpose is to pick up information that can later be sent through the axon with action potentials. The more branching that is present allows greater surface area along with increased potential of picking up signals.

The myelin sheath is responsible for the fast proagation of signals down the neuronal tissue. It is a fatty layer that insulates the neuron, causing the action potential signal to jump or skip over portions of the axon, speeding up transmission. This myelin sheath gets laid down by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and by Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. Each other answer choice is a different part of the neuron itself; the neuron cannot synthesize its own myelin sheath.

Oligodendrocytes myelinate central nervous system (CNS) axons. Each oligodendrocyte can myelinate up to thirty axons, stretching between neurons. Oligodendroctyes are the predominant type of glial cell in white matter, with the myelin giving them a white appearance. Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), and can only be associated with one neuron per cell.

Schwann cells are part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and myelinate only a single axon per cell. Schwann cells increase the conduction velocity of nerve impulses down axons via saltatory conduction between nodes of Ranvier. The nerve impulse jumps from node to node, rather than fluidly traveling down the axon.

Oligodendrocytes, which myelinate central nervous system axons, are the predominant glial cell in white matter.