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The spinal cord extends from the brain along the dorsal side of the vertebral column and consists of, from inside to outside, a central canal filled with cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter containing neurons, white matter composed of axons and dendrites, and a meninges. The spinal cord is organized in segments, with each segment containing a par of spinal nerve roots.
The 4X micrograph is a longitudinal section of the spinal cord depicting the gray matter, white matter, and meninges of the spinal cord as well as part of a vertebra with bone marrow. The 10X, 20X, and 40X micrographs show, in increasing detail, the gray matter and the white matter of the spinal cord. The cells present in the gray matter and the nerve fibers forming the white matter are visible in the 40X micrograph.
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