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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol. 2019 Apr 11;8(4):e343. doi: 10.1002/wdev.343

Figure 5.

Figure 5.

Morphological changes in the mouse disc with normal aging. With aging, the expression of developmental signals and their targets like extracellular matrix (ECM) are reduced. Fewer nucleus pulposus cells that appear phenotypically different from the young nucleus pulposus cells are seen. Arrows point to smaller, “chondrocyte-like cells” encased within lacunae. The surrounding annulus fibrosus, which is regulated by signals from nucleus pulposus, also becomes thinner and disorganized with aging. NP- nucleus pulposus, AF- annulus fibrosus, EP- endplate. Adapted from Winkler et al., 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098444.g004, with permission from PlosOne.