What is White Matter?
The central nervous system is comprised of many factors, but most important are the brain and spinal cord. White matter makes up parts of the brain and spinal cord and facilitates communication between gray matter and the rest of the body. White matter can be found in inner layers of the cortex, optic nerves, and central and lower portions of the brain as well as the spinal cord. White matter is made up primarily of axons of nerve cells and full of myelin, which is a whitish fatty material. White matter derives its name from its color appearance, which is white when exposed. It works with gray matter, a non-myelinated part of the brain responsible for sending sensory and motor stimulus to the central nervous system to create a response. An analogy of how white matter and gray matter works together is similar to how a computer’s central processing unit and cables work together. In this analogy, gray matter is the CPU and white matter the cables connecting the CPU to other parts. Until r
