Multiple choice

Why does the white matter of brain appear in white colour?

  1. As it is made up of axon tracts

  2. As it is wrapped in myelin

  3. As it contain cell bodies

  4. Due to the presence of glial cells

  5. As it contain unmyelinated axons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

They are wrapped in a fatty layer called myelin which insulates the axons and allows them to conduct signals quickly,  much like rubber insulation does for electrical wires. The type of fat in myelin makes it look white, so myelin dense white matter takes on a white hue as well. Thus the white matter in the brain gets its colour from a large number of myelinated nerve cells.

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