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Definition of Schwann cell
1. Noun. Any cell that covers the nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system and forms the myelin sheath.
Medical Definition of Schwann cell
1. A specialised glial cell that wraps around vertebrate axons providing extremely good electrical insulation. Separated by nodes of Ranvier about once every millimetre, at which the axon surface is exposed to the environment. See: saltatory conduction, myelin. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)