Spinal cord - central canal and gray commissure (10x objective lens)

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This image shows the region of the spinal cord around the central canal, which is lined by columnar ependymal cells. Although less obvious than with silver stain, it is still possible to distinguish the gray matter from the white matter. The white matter has a higher density of darkly stained cell nuclei, which belong to glia cells. This makes it appear darker at low magnification. In the gray matter the cell nuclei are less dense and the perikarya of large neurons can be seen. In this image, in which the ventral side of the cord is to the right, the gray matter is narrowest around the central canal, where it forms the gray commissure, which connects the two halves of the gray matter. On either side of the ependymal canal the gray matter expands giving rise to the two ventral or motor horns that occupy the upper right and lower left portions of this image.

 

Stain = H&E