In class we discussed how an action potential is related to a battery. I found a site that compared it to an electrical wire “An 'action potential' is the name for an electrical message carried along the axon or dendrite of a neuron, like an electrical impulse carried along a wire. These tiny electrical signals would not be able to travel very far if the axons were not insulated. Once this electrical charge or 'action potential' reaches the synapse, it triggers neurotransmitter release to enable the signal to reach the next neuron in the chain. A wire carries electricity both faster and farther when it is insulated. The longer the wire is, the more important the insulation is for efficient conduction. The same thing is true for axons and action potentials that travel down them. An action potential is triggered within the cell body of the neuron after the neuron receives signals from other neurons”. Then it goes into how fast an action potential can be carried: “The insulation around axons is provided by a protein covering called myelin. In the brain and spinal cord, myelin is made by oligodendrocytes. The myelin wraps around each axon in many layers. Axon fibers insulated by myelin can carry action potentials at a speed of 100 meters per second, while axon fibers without myelin can only carry action potentials at a speed of 1 meter per second”. How does myelin and this insulation process work to increase the speed of an action potential?

http://www.apacure.com/Why-is-Myelin-Important.html