Nucleus pulposus

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Nucleus pulposus
Cervical vertebra with intervertebral disc. (Nucleus pulposus labeled at center right, and is visible at center in light blue.)
Stages of Spinal Disc Herniation
Gray's subject #17 82
Precursor notochord
Dorlands/Elsevier p_41/12679426

Nucleus pulposus is the jelly-like substance in the middle of the spinal disc. It is the remnant of the notochord. It functions to distribute hydraulic pressure in all directions within each disc under compressive loads. The nucleus pulposus consists of chondrocytes, collagen fibrils, and proteoglycan aggrecans that have hyaluronic long chains which attract water. Attached to each hyaluronic chain are side chains of chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate.[1]

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  1. ^ See Figure 1 in US patent application 2007/0003525.

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