Schwann units in the human foetal phrenic nerve

Abstract

In three human foetuses aged 15, 17, and 23 weeks the number of axons surrounded by single Schwann cells was counted. These Schwann cell/axon complexes form the Schwann units. The largest Schwann units in the foetus aged 15 weeks contained 232 axons, in the foetus of 17 weeks the number was 140 and in the foetus of 23 weeks the largest units contained 65 axons.