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Grey matter contains most of the brain's neuronal cell bodies. [6] The grey matter includes regions of the brain involved in muscle control, and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision-making, and self-control. The grey matter in the spinal cord is split into three grey columns:
The parahippocampal gyrus (or hippocampal gyrus [1]) is a grey matter cortical region of the brain that surrounds the hippocampus and is part of the limbic system. The region plays an important role in memory encoding and retrieval. It has been involved in some cases of hippocampal sclerosis. [2] Asymmetry has been observed in schizophrenia. [3]
The neurons of the cerebral cortex reside in a thin layer of gray matter, only 2–4 mm thick, at the surface of the brain. [2] Much of the interior volume is occupied by white matter , which consists of long axonal projections to and from the cortical neurons residing near the surface.
The periaqueductal gray (PAG), also known as the central gray, is a brain region that plays a critical role in autonomic function, motivated behavior and behavioural responses to threatening stimuli. [1] [2] PAG is also the primary control center for descending pain modulation. It has enkephalin-producing cells that suppress pain.
The locus coeruleus is the major source of noradrenergic innervation in the brain and sends widespread connections to rostral (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus) and caudal (cerebellum, brainstem nuclei) brain areas [22] and. [23] Indeed, an alteration of this structure could contribute to several symptoms observed in MECP2-deficient mice.
The thalamus is a paired structure of gray matter about four centimetres long, located in the forebrain which is superior to the midbrain, near the center of the brain with nerve fibers projecting out to the cerebral cortex in all directions.
The cells of the brain include neurons and supportive glial cells. There are more than 86 billion neurons in the brain, and a more or less equal number of other cells. Brain activity is made possible by the interconnections of neurons and their release of neurotransmitters in response to nerve impulses.
Video of relevant anatomy Coronal slices of human brain showing the basal ganglia. White matter is shown in dark gray, gray matter is shown in light gray. Anterior: striatum, globus pallidus (GPe and GPi) Posterior: subthalamic nucleus (STN), substantia nigra (SN) The basal ganglia form a fundamental component of the cerebrum.