White matter of the brain

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Brain

Gray and white matter of the brain

Overview

White matter of the brain

Information:

The white matter of the brain contains nerve fibers. Many of these nerve fibers (axons) are surrounded by substance called myelin. The myelin gives the whitish appearance to the white matter. Myelin acts as an insulator, and it increases the speed of transmission of all nerve signals.

Review Date: 2/8/2005
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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