white matter
Acronym:
The term white matter refers to one of two types of tissue found in the central nervous system (CNS) . It is neural tissue of the brain (BRN) and spinal cord (SPC) that, whether fresh or fixed, appears lighter compared to the other type, gray matter. White matter is composed predominantly of myelinated nerve axons, which give the cortical white matter (cow), tracts and fasciculi of the CNS their white color on dissection ( Schiebler-1999 ). In MRI images it can appear whiter or grayer than gray matter depending on whether the image is T1 or T2 weighted and other factors.
NeuroNames acronyms for white matter structures are in lower case, e.g., ccr for crus cerebri. White matter is found in the human, macaque, rat, mouse and other vetebrates ( Swanson-2015 ). Updated 30 Apr 2025.
Also known as: central nervous system white matter, Substantia albaNeuroNames ID : 2870
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