Gelatinous center of an intervertebral disc

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Multiple Choice

Gelatinous center of an intervertebral disc

Explanation:
The gelatinous center of an intervertebral disc is the nucleus pulposus. This soft, jelly-like core is rich in water and proteoglycans, giving it a cushiony quality that helps absorb and distribute compressive loads between adjacent vertebral bodies. It is surrounded by the tougher concentric layers of the annulus fibrosus, which contain the nucleus and resist its expansion. The vertebral body, by contrast, is bone at the front of each vertebra, and while cartilage is a general tissue type present in joints, it is not the central gel-like core of the disc.

The gelatinous center of an intervertebral disc is the nucleus pulposus. This soft, jelly-like core is rich in water and proteoglycans, giving it a cushiony quality that helps absorb and distribute compressive loads between adjacent vertebral bodies. It is surrounded by the tougher concentric layers of the annulus fibrosus, which contain the nucleus and resist its expansion. The vertebral body, by contrast, is bone at the front of each vertebra, and while cartilage is a general tissue type present in joints, it is not the central gel-like core of the disc.

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