Marguerite, a first-year doctoral student, prepares and then scrutinizes neural tissue under a microscope. She knows from experience that the areas that look gray have a high density of cell bodies, while the areas that look white consist of large bundles of myelinated
A) axons.
B) dendrites.
C) soma.
D) nuclei.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The white appearance in neural tissue is due to the presence of myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds axons, providing insulation and facilitating the rapid transmission of electrical signals. Axons are the components of neurons that carry nerve impulses away from the cell body, and when they are myelinated, they form the white matter of the brain and spinal cord. Dendrites, soma (cell bodies), and nuclei do not get myelinated in the same way and thus do not contribute to the white appearance observed.

Marguerite, a First-Year Doctoral Student, Prepares and Then Scrutinizes Neural