what are the two primary factors that can alter conduction v

Solution

Nerve conduction velocity is the speed at which an electrochemical impulse propagates down a neural pathway. Conduction velocities are affected by a wide array of factors, including age, sex, and various medical conditions.

Two important factors that can change conduction velocitu are;

1. Myelination:

Myelination serves to insulate the axon to take as much advantage of electrotonic spread, before offering a node which can \"regenerate\" the signal via an action potential.The myelin sheath acts as an insulator for the axons. It\'s like the rubber coating on a copper wire. The myelin sheath increases the speed of transmission of an impulse.Myelin increases conduction velocity by increasing the length constant and decreasing capacitance.  The length constant is the distance an ion travels before it leaks out of the cell (focus on axon).  Myelination increaees this distance before the ion can leak out of the cell. Greater the length constant-the further the ion travels before leaking.

Myelin increases the distance of those external negative charges from the internal positive charges. It decreases capacitance. Therefore, the positive charges propogating down the axon are less likely to line up along the interior membrane and are free to push each other along.

2.

Temperature:

The conduction velocities of most motor and sensory nerves are positively and linearly associated with body temperature (low temperatures slow nerve conduction velocity and higher temperatures increase conduction velocity

Conduction velocities in the Sural nerve seem to exhibit an especially strong correlation with the local temperature of the nerve.