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In the spinal cord the gray
matter is found only as an H-shaped area in the center of the cord. But
within the brainstem the gray matter diverges, passing through the center of
the cerebrum and terminating in the gray matter of the cortex (see below). The
cerebellum has its own gray and white matter distribution which is like that
of the cortex. Other parts such as the basal nuclei have both gray and white
matter. Gray matter in the brain functions much like that in the cord: it is
the site of connections between neurons and contains the cell bodies of motor
and interneurons. It is composed of unmyelinated neurons. White matter in the
brain, like that in the spinal cord, is composed of myelinated fibers in
tracts which carry information from one place to another.
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