Baryon degenerate matter is a form of degenerate matter in which electrons have been forced into the confines of atomic nuclei by the weight of overlying material. Once inside the nucleus, electrons merge with protons to form neutrons, which, obeying the Pauli exclusion principle, provide the degeneracy pressure to resist further collapse. This pressure can only be overcome in a collapsed star that exceeds the Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit.