Myelin is a fatty tissue that surrounds nerve cell axons and increases the speed of electrical impulses. It is composed of 80% lipid and 20% protein. In the central nervous system, myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, while in the peripheral nervous system it is produced by Schwann cells. Myelination allows faster signal transmission and helps prevent electrical currents from leaving the axon. New research has found that axons may signal myelination by releasing ATP, which causes astrocytes to release a factor that promotes myelination by oligodendrocytes.