Wharton's jelly is a gelatinous substance within the umbilical cord. Wharton's jelly is a rich source of stem cells, and also provides some measure of protection to the blood vessels in the umbilical cord. It is named for the English physician and anatomist Thomas Wharton (1614-1673) who first described it in his publication Adenographia, or "The Description of the Glands of the Entire Body", first published in 1656.

Biological reproduction | Developmental biology | Embryology | Eponymous anatomical structures