What is Difference Between Gray and White Matter?

difference between gray and white matter is that The nervous system is divided into two parts; The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The brain, which has organized multilevel neurons and connections of undefined neurons, is completely divided into gray and white matter. Here we will explain what difference there is between gray and white matter.Difference Between Gray and White Matter

Gray matter, also known as gray matter, is the part of the brain that is controlled by the bodies of nerve cells and most dendrites (numerous, short, branched filaments that carry impulses to the cell body).

The cell body is the area of ​​the neuron that is characterized by the existence of a nucleus. Gray matter has no myelin blanket.

The actual processing is carried out in gray matter. He was given the name gray because of his appearance. It has a gray color due to the gray nuclei that comprise the cells. It fills 40 percent of the entire brain in humans and consumes 94 percent of oxygen.

Gray matter neurons have no axons that extend, or long, thin projections of neurons, that send electrical signals away from the soma (another name for the cell body of neurons).

Neurons create networks, in which nerve signals travel. From the dendrites to the end of their axons, the signals are reproduced in the neural membrane by means of electrical modes. Neurons do not make body contact with each other when they transmit messages.

Neurotransmitters serve as the means to connect a neuron with another neuron. The senses of the body (speech, hearing, feelings, vision and memory) and the control of the muscles are part of the function of gray matter.

White matter, also known as substance alba, is a neuron that is made up of extension, myelinated nerve fibers, or axons. It composes the structures in the center of the brain, such as the thalamus and the hypothalamus.

It is located between the brainstem and the cerebellum. It is white matter that allows communication to and from gray matter areas, and between gray matter and other parts of the body. It works by transmitting information from different parts of the body to the cerebral cortex. It also controls functions that the body does not know, such as temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.

Dispensing hormones and food control, as well as water intake and emotion exposure, are additional functions of white matter.

The axons are protected by the myelin sheath, which provides isolation from electrical processes, allowing them to make nerve signals faster. Myelin is also responsible for the white appearance of white matter. 60 percent of the brain is composed of white matter.

SUMMARY

  • Gray matter is formed by nerve cell bodies and white matter is formed by fibers.
  • Unlike white matter, gray matter neurons do not have extended axons.
  • Gray matter occupies 40 percent of the brain, while white matter fills 60 percent of the brain
  • Gray matter has a gray color due to the gray nuclei that comprise the cells. Myelin is responsible for the white appearance of white matter.
  • Processing is carried out on gray matter, while white matter allows communication to and from gray matter areas, and between gray matter and other parts of the body.

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