Gray matter has some pink and yellowish tints mixed in. White matter is really more pinkish. It turns white when it dies and has been preserved as a lab specimen.
Gray matter is mostly neuron cell bodies and non-neuron brain cells called glial cells. These glial cells provide nutrients and energy to neurons. They help transport glucose into the brain, clean the brain of excess chemicals and may even affect the intensity of the neurons’ communications.
The white matter of the brain is made up primarily of axon tracts, the long, spindly appendages of some brain cells. These tracts transmit the electrical signals that the brain cells, called neurons, use to communicate. They’re wrapped in a fatty layer called myelin, which insulates the axons and allows them to conduct signals quickly, much like rubber insulation does for electrical wires. The type of fat in myelin makes it look white, so myelin-dense white matter takes on a white hue as well.
Picture Credit : Google
