Which option pairs a brain region with pyramidal cell presence correctly?

Which option pairs a brain region with pyramidal cell presence correctly?

• A. Gray matter of cerebrum — pyramidal cells
• B. White matter of cerebrum — pyramidal cells
• C. Gray matter of cerebellum — pyramidal cells
• D. White matter of cerebellum — pyramidal cells

Answer: (A)

Pyramidal neurons are the principal excitatory cells of the cerebral cortex, residing in the gray matter where neuronal cell bodies are located. The white matter is mainly composed of myelinated axons, not cell bodies, so pyramidal cells aren’t found there. In the cerebellum, the major neurons are Purkinje cells, not pyramidal cells. So the only correct pairing is the gray matter of the cerebrum with pyramidal cells.

Pyramidal neurons are the principal excitatory cells of the cerebral cortex, residing in the gray matter where neuronal cell bodies are located. The white matter is mainly composed of myelinated axons, not cell bodies, so pyramidal cells aren’t found there. In the cerebellum, the major neurons are Purkinje cells, not pyramidal cells. So the only correct pairing is the gray matter of the cerebrum with pyramidal cells.