Question

True or false? In the cerebrum, gray matter is deep to the white matter; in the spinal cord, it is superficial to the white matter.

Answer 1

The statement that gray matter is deep to white matter in the cerebrum while superficial in the spinal cord is false. The cerebrum's gray matter forms the surface cortex, while the spinal cord has gray matter at its core, shaped like a capital "H".

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement in the question is false. In the cerebrum, the gray matter is actually on the outside and forms the cerebral cortex, while the white matter is deeper inside. Conversely, in the spinal cord, the gray matter is indeed deep while the white matter is superficial. The spinal cord's gray matter can be visualized as an "H" or butterfly-shaped area in cross-section and contains neuron cell bodies and interneurons, whereas the white matter contains myelinated axons.

Regarding the other queries provided as context:

1. Glial cells do not produce action potentials; they play a support role for neurons.
2. The spinal cord consists of both white and gray matter.
3. Axons in adult humans can indeed be more than a meter long, such as those running from the spine to the toes.
4. If a person has trouble using language correctly after a stroke, it is likely that the left hemisphere of the brain was damaged, as for most people, this hemisphere is responsible for language.