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灰白質 (kaihakushitsu) Japanese meaning: gray matter | Kotomora

灰かい白はく質しつ

か

い

は

く

し

つ

Meanings

1

gray matter; grey matter

Anatomical term for the grayish nerve tissue of the brain and spinal cord.

脳のうの灰かい白はく質しつは神しん経けい細さい胞ぼうの集あつ

まり

だ

。

The brain's gray matter is a collection of nerve cells.

Kanji

灰ashes, puckery juice, cremate
白white
質substance, quality, matter

Related words

白はく質しつ
白質 (white matter) is the counterpart to 灰白質, referring to the paler nerve tissue mainly composed of myelinated axons.

Word family

脊せき髄ずい灰かい白はく質しつ炎えん
poliomyelitis; polio

Built from

灰かい白はく+質しつ

Etymology

Compound of 灰白 (かいはく, 'grayish white') and 質 (しつ, 'substance, quality'). The term is a direct calque from Western anatomical terminology.