Nerve signals can travel about 120 meters per second
The fastest myelinated motor fibers in humans can zip signals at roughly 120 m/s — about 430 km/h. That is why a stubbed toe can feel almost instant from foot to brain.
Myelin insulation and axon diameter set the speed limit. Thin unmyelinated fibers crawl far slower, which is one reason dull ache lags behind sharp pain.
Speed is survival wiring. Reflex arcs and skilled movement depend on messages that beat the clock before conscious thought catches up.
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