--- title: "Schwann Cells | Intro to Psychology" description: "Schwann cells are glial cells in the PNS that make myelin around axons, speeding signals and supporting peripheral nerve repair in Intro to Psychology." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms/schwann-cells" type: "key-term" subject: "Intro to Psychology" unit: "Unit 3" --- # Schwann Cells | Intro to Psychology ## Definition Schwann cells are glial cells in the peripheral nervous system that wrap axons in myelin. In Intro to Psychology, they show how the nervous system speeds signals and repairs damaged peripheral nerves. ## What It Is Schwann cells are the glial cells that myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system, so in Intro to Psychology they come up when you study how nerve signals move efficiently through the body. They are not neurons themselves. Instead, they support neurons by wrapping the axon in a fatty myelin sheath. That myelin sheath acts like insulation around an electrical wire. It keeps the signal from leaking out and lets the impulse travel faster down the axon. In a nervous system diagram, you will usually see Schwann cells wrapped around segments of a peripheral nerve fiber, with small gaps between the myelin sections. Those gaps matter because they make saltatory conduction possible. Instead of the action potential moving in a slow, continuous wave, the signal jumps from one gap to the next. That is one reason your reflexes, movement, and many sensory signals happen so quickly. Schwann cells also matter because they help damaged peripheral nerves regrow. If a nerve in the PNS is injured, Schwann cells can create a supportive path that helps the axon regenerate. That is a big contrast with the central nervous system, where repair is much more limited. A common mistake is mixing up Schwann cells with the cells that myelinate the brain and spinal cord. Schwann cells work in the PNS, while oligodendrocytes do that job in the CNS. If a question asks where a Schwann cell is found, the answer is outside the brain and spinal cord, in the nerves that carry messages to and from the body. ## Why It Matters Schwann cells show up in Intro to Psychology because they connect the structure of the nervous system to behavior and sensation. When you read about reaction time, reflexes, movement, or how a nerve injury affects the body, Schwann cells explain part of the reason signals are fast or slow. They also give you a concrete example of how glial cells support neurons. Psychology classes often focus on neurons, but glia matter too because they keep neural communication efficient. If a neuron is the messenger, Schwann cells are part of the support system that helps the message travel cleanly. This term also helps you compare the peripheral nervous system with the central nervous system. That comparison shows up a lot in biopsychology questions, especially when you are asked to identify which part of the body handles a function or where a repair process can happen. Schwann cells are one of the clearest PNS-specific facts to remember. If a scenario describes numbness, weak muscle control, or recovery after a peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells can be part of the explanation. They are not the whole story, but they give you a realistic biological mechanism instead of a vague answer. ## Connections ### Myelination Schwann cells are the cells that carry out myelination in the peripheral nervous system. Myelination is the process of adding a myelin sheath around axons, which changes how quickly signals travel. In psychology, this comes up when you connect nervous system structure to faster reaction time, smoother movement, and efficient communication between body and brain. ### Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Schwann cells belong to the PNS, not the brain or spinal cord. That matters because many Intro to Psychology questions ask you to separate what happens in peripheral nerves from what happens in the central nervous system. If the body is sending signals to muscles or bringing sensory information back from the skin, you are usually thinking about the PNS. ### Axon Schwann cells wrap around axons, which are the parts of neurons that send signals away from the cell body. The axon is the structure being insulated, so the two terms show up together in diagrams and short-answer questions. If you know where the axon is, you can understand why myelin changes the speed of transmission. ### [Action Potential](/intro-psychology/key-terms/action-potential) Schwann cells affect how action potentials travel along an axon. The action potential is the electrical signal itself, while the Schwann cell’s myelin helps that signal move faster through saltatory conduction. When a question asks why a message travels quickly down a nerve fiber, this is the link you want to make. ## On the AP Exam A quiz item might show a neuron diagram and ask you to identify the cell that makes myelin in a peripheral nerve. A short-answer question could describe a nerve injury and ask why the person has slower signal transmission or why recovery is possible. If you see a case about numbness, weak coordination, or peripheral neuropathy, you can connect those symptoms to damaged Schwann cells and disrupted myelination. In class discussion or essay answers, use the term to explain how the PNS supports reflexes, movement, and sensory input. ## Schwann Cells vs Oligodendrocytes These two cells both make myelin, but they work in different places. Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system, while oligodendrocytes myelinate axons in the central nervous system. If a question mentions a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord, Schwann cells are the better match. ## Key Takeaways - Schwann cells are glial cells that make myelin around axons in the peripheral nervous system. - Their myelin sheath speeds up nerve signaling by allowing saltatory conduction. - They support repair after peripheral nerve damage, which is why they matter for nerve recovery. - Schwann cells are found in the PNS, while oligodendrocytes do the myelin job in the CNS. - If you see a question about fast signal transmission in a peripheral nerve, Schwann cells are one of the first terms to check. ## FAQs ### What is Schwann cells in Intro to Psychology? Schwann cells are glial cells in the peripheral nervous system that wrap axons in myelin. That myelin helps nerve impulses travel faster and also supports repair after peripheral nerve injury. In Intro to Psychology, they usually appear in topics about neurons and nervous system structure. ### Are Schwann cells neurons? No, Schwann cells are not neurons. They are support cells, which means they help neurons do their job rather than sending the main signal themselves. Their big job is making myelin around peripheral axons. ### What is the difference between Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes? Both cells make myelin, but they do it in different parts of the nervous system. Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system, while oligodendrocytes myelinate axons in the central nervous system. That distinction is a common diagram and vocabulary question. ### How do Schwann cells affect nerve signal speed? Schwann cells speed transmission by forming a myelin sheath around the axon. The myelin acts as insulation, so the action potential can jump between gaps instead of moving continuously along the whole axon. That jumping pattern is called saltatory conduction. ## Related Study Guides - [3.2 Cells of the Nervous System](/intro-psychology/unit-3/2-cells-nervous-system/study-guide/Dv5ov2Xy99aaOGdN) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms/schwann-cells#resource","name":"Schwann Cells | Intro to Psychology","url":"https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms/schwann-cells","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms/schwann-cells#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:22:12.771Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Intro to Psychology Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://fiveable.me/editorial#content-team","name":"Fiveable Content Team","url":"https://fiveable.me/editorial","parentOrganization":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/#organization"},"member":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda DoAmaral","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/adoamaral"]},{"@type":"Person","name":"Becky Bahr","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bahr-b52743132"]}]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/intro-psychology/key-terms/schwann-cells#term","name":"Schwann Cells","description":"Schwann cells are glial cells in the peripheral nervous system that wrap axons in myelin. 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