sumsum

Sumsum is a term used in Malay and Indonesian with several related meanings. The most common sense refers to bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones. In everyday language, sumsum tulang or sumsum tulang belakang specifically denotes bone marrow. Beyond the literal tissue, sumsum can also be used more broadly to mean the inner substance, core, or essence of something, functioning as a metaphor for the heart of a matter.

In medical and anatomical contexts, bone marrow is the site of blood cell production, producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. There are two main types: red marrow, which generates blood cells, and yellow marrow, which stores fat as a reserve. The distribution of red and yellow marrow changes with age and varies among bones in the human skeleton.

The word’s figurative use is common in everyday speech. People might refer to the “sumsum” of a process or story to signify its core meaning or central point. This metaphorical sense is cultural and language-bound, rather than a universal scientific term.

Outside Malay-speaking regions, sumsum does not have a widely recognized technical meaning in English or other languages. It may appear as a proper noun in place names, titles, or creative works, depending on authors and context. See also bone marrow, pith, and core concepts in language.