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Hidden structure of the brain: What are the secrets of white matter and gray matter?
The brain, this highly developed organ, is widely considered the center of the nervous system of all vertebrates and most invertebrates. It is located at the head, and the complexity of its structure and function still attracts scientists to study in depth today. Especially the white matter and gray matter in the brain, these two basic components, have different functions and importance.
The brain is the most dedicated organ responsible for receiving information from the sensory nervous system, processing this information (thinking, cognition and intelligence), and coordinating motor control (muscular activity and endocrine system).
In vertebrates, brain development begins at the dorsal midline of the neural tube, forming an embryonic sac-like enlargement. The brains of all vertebrates can be divided into three main parts during the embryonic stage: the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain. This lays the foundation for exploring the ever-changing environmental response. However, invertebrate brains usually originate from a pair of segmental ganglions, each responsible for their respective body passages.
In the human body, the cerebral cortex has about 14 to 16 billion neurons, while the cerebellum has an estimated 55 to 70 billion neurons. The connections between these neurons are carried out through synapses, forming a complex network that can quickly transmit information between cells.
Each neuron is signaled by protrusions (dendrites and axons), and the formation of action potentials can quickly transmit information to other brain regions or distant parts of the body.
For humans, the prefrontal lobe of the brain controls executive function and its development is particularly complete. Physiologically, the brain exerts centralized control over other organs of the body, so that it can respond quickly and coordinately to changes in the environment. This centralized control relies on the ability to integrate complex sensory inputs from the environment.
It is also important that the ability of how cells in the brain cooperate, which has attracted widespread attention in current neuroscience models. In recent years, researchers have viewed the brain as a biological computer that acquires, stores and processes information in many ways from the surrounding world.
The functions of the brain are not limited to the transmission of sensory information, but also include more advanced cognitive processes such as learning and memory.
Brain shapes and sizes vary between species, so identifying common traits becomes quite tricky, but there are several principles about brain architecture that are common across species. For example, in all vertebrates, the brain structure can be divided into gray matter and white matter. Gray matter is mainly composed of cell bodies and synapses of neurons, while white matter is composed of nerve fibers (axons), which also explains the difference in color in the slices.
Animals with long lifespans and high complexity, such as humans, have the ability to imitate and reason, and they also show well in areas with more developed brains. Among these advanced animals, the forebrain development is most pronounced, which is inseparable from their social behaviors and survival strategies.
The development of the brain can also help explain behaviors, such as the relationship between the predator and the prey, and the required planning capabilities in the process.
On the other hand, white matter not only forms part similar to the main circuit of the computer, but also accelerates the transmission of signals through myelin-encapsulated axons. Such structural arrangement makes connection and information processing more efficient, and allows animals to survive in complex ecology.
During the evolution process, the differences in brain structure between invertebrates and vertebrates are also quite obvious. Some invertebrates, such as arthropods and cephalopods, develop a complex brain, while some primitive species that are far from vertebrates reflect ancient neural structures.
Overall, the structure and function of the brain reflect the optimization of different survival strategies. Under such a framework, the interaction between the gray matter in the brain, whether in rapid response or conscious behavior, is particularly important.
Understanding the brain lies not only in the accumulation of knowledge, but also in how to reexamine old ideas based on new discoveries. Further exploring the relationship between gray matter and white matter will help promote our understanding of human cognition and behavior. So, future research may reveal more mysteries of brain function?
