The human brain's color is a pinkish-gray. This comes from the combination of its constituent tissues.
The Brain's Composition and Color
The brain's appearance is largely due to the presence of two primary tissue types:
- Gray matter: This tissue, primarily composed of neuron cell bodies, appears grayish in color. It's responsible for processing information. Most of the outer layer of the brain (the cortex) is gray matter.
- White matter: This tissue is predominantly made up of myelinated axons, which are the long fibers that connect neurons. The myelin sheath gives white matter its whitish hue. It facilitates communication between different brain regions.
The blood vessels supplying the brain also contribute to its overall pinkish tone. While images often depict a uniformly pink brain, the actual appearance is more nuanced, with variations in shades of gray and pink. A living, pulsating brain has been described as exhibiting white, black, and reddish-pink colors. memoryOS
Color and Brain Function
Research indicates that specific brain regions are associated with the processing and categorization of color. Studies using functional MRI (fMRI) have identified areas in the frontal lobes involved in color categorization. PNAS Furthermore, the brain's activity patterns vary differently between warm and cool hues, highlighting the brain's intricate processing of color information. NIH
Awareness Ribbons and Brain Color
It's important to note that the color associated with brain injury awareness is blue, not the actual color of the brain itself. BIAUSA Similarly, gray ribbons are used for brain cancer awareness. Team Jack Foundation
