Brain, mammal, sheep - transverse view (Gross, Low)

Structure List Cerebral cortex White matter Gray matter Thalamus

When the frontal lobe is cut, both gray and white matter can be seen. Gray matter is composed of cell bodies (soma). White matter is composed of fiber tracts. The "white" is due to myelin sheaths around the fibers which appear white. The cerebral cortex is a highly ordered gray matter structure composed of six distinct layers. In spite of its complexity, it is composed of only three cell types: pyramidal cells, stellate cells and fusiform cells.