parenchyma

[ puh-reng-kuh-muh ]

noun

1. Botany. the fundamental tissue of plants, composed of thin-walled cells able to divide.
2. Anatomy, Zoology. the specific tissue of an animal organ as distinguished from its connective or supporting tissue.
3. Zoology. a type of soft, spongy connective tissue of certain invertebrates, as the flatworms.
4. Pathology. the functional tissue of a morbid growth.

parenchyma

/ ˌpærɛŋˈkɪmətəs; pəˈrɛŋkɪmə /

noun

1. unspecialized plant tissue consisting of simple thin-walled cells with intervening air spaces: constitutes the greater part of fruits, stems, roots, etc
2. animal tissue that constitutes the essential or specialized part of an organ as distinct from the blood vessels, connective tissue, etc, associated with it
3. loosely-packed tissue filling the spaces between the organs in lower animals such as flatworms

parenchyma

/ pə-rĕng′kə-mə /

1. The basic tissue of plants, consisting of cells with thin cellulose walls. The cortex and pith of the stem, the internal layers of leaves, and the soft parts of fruits are made of parenchyma. In contrast to sclerenchyma cells, parenchyma cells remain alive at maturity. They perform various functions, such as water storage, replacement of damaged tissue, and physical support of plant structures. Chloroplasts, the organelles in which photosynthesis takes place, are found in parenchyma cells.
2. Compare collenchyma

Derived Forms

• parenchymatous, adjective

Other Words From

• pa·renchy·mal par·en·chym·a·tous [par-, uh, ng-, kim, -, uh, -t, uh, s], adjective
• inter·pa·renchy·mal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parenchyma¹

1645–55; < New Latin < Greek parénchyma literally, something poured in beside, equivalent to par- par- + énchyma infusion; en- ², chyme

Word History and Origins

Origin of parenchyma¹

C17: via New Latin from Greek parenkhuma something poured in beside, from para- ¹+ enkhuma infusion

Example Sentences

Similarly, injection of tracers into the brain parenchyma showed reduced ISF drainage into deep cervical lymph nodes.

From Nature

Enhancing amyloid-β clearance from the parenchyma is an alternative approach to modifying amyloid-β levels, and this is being pursued mainly through active and passive strategies of immunization against the peptide.

From Nature

Magnetic resonance imaging and brain biopsy were consistent with fulminant demyelinating encephalomyelitis with enhancing parenchyma and leptomeninges.

From Forbes

RNA interference provides a direct way to study putative cancer targets; however, specific delivery of therapeutics to the tumor parenchyma remains an intractable problem.

From Science Magazine

Animals treated with stem cells after TBI were found to have M2 macrophages in their brain parenchyma.

From Scientific American