Spinal cord (4x objective lens)

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This low magnification view shows approximately the right half of the spinal cord. The gray matter, which contains the cell bodies of neurons, has a yellowish color, whereas the surrounding white matter is more gray. The deep indentation at the bottom of the cord is the ventral fissure. The large bulge of gray matter to the right of the ventral fissure is the ventral or motor horn of the spinal cord. The region of gray matter above the ventral fissure, which connects the gray matter of the two halves of the spinal cord, is called the gray commissure. Curving over the surface of the right side of the cord is the dorsal root nerve, which bulges out to form the dorsal root ganglion, located at the lower right corner of the image.

 

Stain = silver

Go to higher magnification view of the ventral horn

Go to a higher magnification view of white matter

Go to a higher magnification view of the gray commissure

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