Question

why the spinal cord is organized in the way it is white matter surrounding gray matter?

Answer 1

The outer part of the spinal cord is composed of white matter and inner side of teh spinal cord is of gray matter.

Myelin gives the white matter white color.white matter is composed of myelinated nerve fibers. it forms the major tract in the spinal cord. these tract help to connect the spinal cord with the brain and the peripheral tissue.

Inner gray matter of the spinal cord is composed of Glial cells,dendrite and cell bodies .Gray matter of the spinal cord includes Cells like anterior horn cells and posterior horn cell.

Anterior horn cell act as a relay station fo rthe motor neuron and the posterior or dorsal horn cell recieve sensor nerves from the periphery and send into the brain.

There are mainly 3 coloumn in white matter of the spinal cord .They are dorsal column , ventral column,lateral column. This all act as a passage for the tract into the brain and from the brian.

Eg : Dorsal column tract or sensory tract passes through th dorsal column into the somatosensory cortex in the brain.

An injury to the white matter column of the spinal cord can lead to impaired coordination.