Meaning of WHITE MATTER

Pronunciation:			wIt 'matur
WordNet Dictionary
	Definition:		[n]  whitish nervous tissue of the CNS consisting of neurons and their myelin sheaths
	Websites:
	Synonyms:		substantia alba
	See Also:		central nervous system, CNS, fibrous astrocyte, nerve tissue, nervous tissue, systema nervosum centrale
Medical Dictionary
	Definition:		Parts of the brain, notably the cortex (shell) of the cerebral hemispheres, composed of nerve cells "insulated" with a coating of myelin.
Biology Dictionary
	Definition:		"White matter" is the portions of the brain and spinal cord which are white and composed of the long, thin extensions (called axons and dendrites) of neurons. This is in contrast to gray matter, which is the portions that are gray and composed of the cytons (main bodies) of neurons. In the spinal cord, the white matter borders the gray matter, making up the outer layers of nerve tissue. In the brain, the white matter carries the nerve impulses originating in the gray matter.