grey matter

Examples of grey matter in the following topics:

• Grey and White Matter

  • The basic pattern of the CNS is a central cavity surrounded by gray matter external to which is the white matter.
  • Grey matter is distributed at the surface of the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum, as well as in the depths of the cerebrum, cerebellar, brainstem, and spinal grey matter.
  • A second major component of the central nervous system is white matter and it is composed of bundles of myelinated axons that connect various grey matter regions of the nervous system to each other and carry nerve impulses between neurons .
  • Micrograph showing grey matter, with the characteristic neuronal cell bodies (right of image - darker pink), and white matter with its characteristic fine mesh work-like appearance (left of image - lighter pink).
  • Distinguish between grey and white matter of the central nervous system

• Spinal Cord Grey Matter and Spinal Roots

  • The grey matter of the spinal cord contains neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, axons, and nerve synapeses.
  • Damage to the grey matter (eg, the ventral gray horn) may lead to tingling and muscle weakness.
  • Projections of the grey matter (the "wings") are called horns.
  • Together, the grey horns and the grey commissure form the H-shaped grey matter.
  • Describe the grey matter and spinal roots of the spinal cord

• Spinal Cord White Matter

  • While grey matter is primarily associated with processing and cognition, white matter modulates the distribution of action potentials, acting as a relay and coordinating communication between different brain regions.
  • White matter is composed of bundles of myelinated nerve cell processes (or axons), which connect various grey matter areas (the locations of nerve cell bodies) of the brain to each other and carry nerve impulses between neurons.
  • Cerebral and spinal white matter do not contain dendrites, which can only be found in grey matter along with neural cell bodies, and shorter axons.
  • The cerebellum is structured in a similar manner as the cerebrum, with a superficial mantle of cerebellar cortex, deep cerebellar white matter (called the "arbor vitae") and aggregates of grey matter surrounded by deep cerebellar white matter (dentate nucleus, globose nucleus, emboliform nucleus, and fastigial nucleus).
  • The spinal cord diagram showing location of the white matter surrounding grey matter.

• White Matter of the Cerebrum

  • White matter is one of the two components of the central nervous system (CNS).
  • The axons of white matter transmit signals from various grey matter areas (the locations of nerve cell bodies) of the cerebrum to each other and carry nerve impulses between neurons.
  • While grey matter is primarily associated with processing and cognition, white matter modulates the distribution of action potentials, acting as a relay and coordinating communication between different brain regions.
  • White matter appears white in this dissected human brain, while gray matter appears darker.
  • White matter is composed largely of myelinated axons.

• Subdivisions of the Nervous System

  • The nervous system is often divided into components called gray matter and white matter.
  • Gray matter, which is gray in preserved tissue but pink or light brown in living tissue, contains a relatively high proportion of neuron cell bodies.
  • Conversely, white matter is composed mainly of axons and is named because of the color of the fatty insulation called myelin that coats many axons.
  • White matter includes all of the nerves of the PNS and much of the interior of the brain and spinal cord.
  • Gray matter is found in clusters of neurons in the brain and spinal cord and in cortical layers that line their surfaces.

• Anatomy of the Large Intestine

  • The large intestine absorbs water from remaining indigestible food matter and compacts feces prior to defecation.
  • The function of the large intestine (or "large bowel") is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body.

• Digestive Processes of the Large Intestine

  • In the large intestine, a host of microorganisms known as "gut flora" help digest remaining food matter and create vitamins.
  • It also compacts feces, and stores fecal matter in the rectum until it can be defecated.

• Clusters of Neuronal Cell Bodies

  • In anatomical sections, a nucleus shows up as a region of gray matter, often bordered by white matter.

• Motor Areas

  • Buried deep in the white matter of the cerebral cortex are interconnected subcortical masses of cerebral gray matter called basal nuclei (or basal ganglia) that are involved in motor control.

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

  • Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion of organic matter due to insufficient oxygen supply to enable complete oxidation to carbon dioxide (CO2).
  • The result of these effects is lipid peroxidation, which causes delayed reversible demyelinization of white matter in the central nervous system known as Grinker myelinopathy, which can lead to edema and necrosis within the brain.
  • These disorders are typically related to damage to the cerebral white matter and basal ganglia.
  • Hallmark pathological changes following poisoning are bilateral necrosis of the white matter, globus pallidus, cerebellum, hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex.