Wharton's jelly
Encyclopedia
Wharton's jelly is a gelatinous substance within the umbilical cord
, largely made up of mucopolysaccharides (hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate
). It also contains some fibroblasts and macrophages.
It is derived from extra-embryonic mesoderm
.
genes, including telomerase
. They can be extracted, cultured, and induced to differentiate into mature cell types such as neurons . Wharton's jelly is therefore a potential source of adult stem cells (also see the more common method of storing cord blood
)
(1614-1673) who first described it in his publication Adenographia, or "The Description of the Glands of the Entire Body", first published in 1656.
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
, largely made up of mucopolysaccharides (hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate
Chondroitin sulfate
Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan composed of a chain of alternating sugars . It is usually found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan. A chondroitin chain can have over 100 individual sugars, each of which can be sulfated in variable positions and quantities...
). It also contains some fibroblasts and macrophages.
It is derived from extra-embryonic mesoderm
Mesoderm
In all bilaterian animals, the mesoderm is one of the three primary germ cell layers in the very early embryo. The other two layers are the ectoderm and endoderm , with the mesoderm as the middle layer between them.The mesoderm forms mesenchyme , mesothelium, non-epithelial blood corpuscles and...
.
Umbilical cord occlusion
As a mucous tissue it protects and insulates umbilical blood vessels. Wharton's jelly, when exposed to temperature changes, collapses structures within the umbilical cord and thus will provide a physiological clamping of the cord, an average of 5 minutes after birth.Stem cells
Cells in Wharton's jelly express several stem cellStem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
genes, including telomerase
Telomerase
Telomerase is an enzyme that adds DNA sequence repeats to the 3' end of DNA strands in the telomere regions, which are found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. This region of repeated nucleotide called telomeres contains non-coding DNA material and prevents constant loss of important DNA from...
. They can be extracted, cultured, and induced to differentiate into mature cell types such as neurons . Wharton's jelly is therefore a potential source of adult stem cells (also see the more common method of storing cord blood
Cord blood
Umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord after childbirth. Cord blood is collected because it contains stem cells which can be used to treat hematopoietic and genetic disorders.-Collection:...
)
Etymology
It is named for the English physician and anatomist Thomas WhartonThomas Wharton (anatomist)
Thomas Wharton was an English physician and anatomist best known for his descriptions of the submandibular duct and Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord.-Life:...
(1614-1673) who first described it in his publication Adenographia, or "The Description of the Glands of the Entire Body", first published in 1656.