Final answer:
It is true that the spinal cord's white matter is segmented into anterior, lateral, and posterior columns. These columns contain ascending and descending nerve fiber tracts that manage sensory and motor information between the brain and body.
Step-by-step explanation:
The white matter of the spinal cord is indeed divided into anterior, lateral, and posterior columns. This is true. Ascending tracts within these columns carry sensory information from the body to the brain. In contrast, the descending tracts convey motor commands from the brain down to the relevant body parts.
When examining a cross-section of the spinal cord, we see these columns distinctly. The posterior columns lie between the two posterior horns of gray matter, the anterior columns are found between the two anterior horns, and the lateral columns are located between the posterior horn and the axons from the anterior horn on the same side. In the lateral column, various axons are present, some ascending to transmit sensory data and others descending to relay motor commands.