What is the difference between white and grey matter in the spinal cord?
What is the difference between white and grey matter in the spinal cord?
White matter occurs in both brain and the spinal cord. The main difference between white matter and grey matter is that white matter mainly consists of myelinated axons whereas grey matter mainly consists of cell bodies, axon terminals, and dendrites. The white colour occurs due to the lipid components of the myelin.
Does white matter surround grey matter in the spinal cord?
The brain’s fluid-filled ventricles are also found within the white matter. In the spinal cord, things are largely reversed – the white matter is distributed around the central gray matter “butterfly”. Figure 2: The arrangement of white and gray matter in the spinal cord.
How are gray matter and white matter arranged in the spinal cord?
White matter is found buried in the inner layer of the brain’s cortex, while the grey matter is mainly located on the surface of the brain. The spinal cord is arranged in the opposite way, with grey matter found deep inside its core and the insulating white matter wrapped around the outside.
What is white matter made of spinal cord?
White matter is one of the two components of the central nervous system. It consists mostly of glial cells and myelinated axons and forms the bulk of the deep parts of the brain and the superficial parts of the spinal cord.
What is white matter and grey matter?
The white matter refers to those parts of the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for communication between the various gray matter regions and between the gray matter and the rest of the body. In essence, the gray matter is where the processing is done and the white matter is the channels of communication.
What do the GREY and white matter in the brain represent?
The grey matter represents the high concentration of cell bodies of the neuron. The inner region of cerebrum is composed of white matter which is also called cerebral medulla. The white matter represents the high concentration of axons which gives it lighter appearance.
What is white matter and GREY matter?
Why is gray matter inside the spinal cord?
The gray matter constitutes basic processing nuclei that form the reflex arches in the spinal chord. These reflex arches process incoming sensory information (e.g. pain) and govern motor output (e.g., pulling the hand away from the fire).
What is GREY matter and white matter?
The gray matter is the areas where the actual “processing” is done whereas the white matter provides the communication between different gray matter areas and between the gray matter and the rest of the body. The neurons in the gray matter consist of neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites.
Why is gray matter gray and white matter white?
The type of fat in myelin makes it look white, so myelin-dense white matter takes on a white hue as well. In contrast, gray matter is mostly neuron cell bodies and non-neuron brain cells called glial cells. These glial cells provide nutrients and energy to neurons.
Why is gray matter Gray?
In contrast, gray matter is mostly neuron cell bodies and non-neuron brain cells called glial cells. These glial cells provide nutrients and energy to neurons. Because these cells are not surrounded by white myelin, they take on the natural grayish color of the neurons and glial cells.
Where is grey matter in the spinal cord?
The grey matter, in the center of the cord, is shaped like a butterfly and consists of cell bodies of interneurons and motor neurons, as well as neuroglia cells and unmyelinated axons.
What are the functions of gray matter?
The cerebral cortex has several important functions. Those include learning, memory, cognitive processes, and attention. Furthermore, the function of gray matter in the cerebellum is related to motor control, balance, precision, and coordination.
What are the White Columns of the spinal cord?
In both halves of the spinal cord the white matter is grossly divided into three columns: anterior, lateral and posterior funiculi. The dorsal column contains both the gracile and cuneate fasciculi which are responsible for the epicritic sensibility.
Is brain gray or white matter?
White matter is found buried in the inner layer of the brain’s cortex, while the grey matter is mainly located on the surface of the brain. The spinal cord is arranged in the opposite way, with grey matter found deep inside its core and the insulating white matter wrapped around the outside.
What is gray matter and white matter?
Gray matter is peculiar for containing the neuron cell bodies. The scientific name for the neuron bodies is soma ( 1 ). White matter is specific for containing myelinated axons ( 1 ). These structures are long relays. They extend out from the neuron bodies. As their color is whiteish, these structures are called the white matter.
