Axons carry signals to and from the neurons and are covered by a protective sheath called myelin.
Axons are metabolically independent from neurons so that if an axon is injured, its function will be disrupted even though the neuron may still be intact. Like most parts of the brain, the spinal cord is over-designed, Ransom said. We may have lost some, but if we can get the residual axons to work better, there can be some improvement. A traumatic injury can tear an axon apart, or, more commonly, it can damage an axon by producing reduced blood flow. Blood supplies the axon with the oxygen and glucose it needs to function.