aerenchyma

[ai-reng-kuh-muh, ai-ren-]

noun Botany.

a tissue in certain aquatic plants, consisting of thin-walled cells and large intercellular spaces adapted for internal circulation of air.

Origin of aerenchyma

From New Latin, dating back to 1895–1900; see origin at aer-, parenchyma

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for aerenchyma

aerenchyma

noun

plant tissue with large air-filled spaces, which is typical of aquatic plants and allows air to reach waterlogged parts

Word Origin for aerenchyma

C19: from aer(o)- + Greek enkhuma infusion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

aerenchyma in Science

aerenchyma

[â-rĕng′kə-mə]

A spongy tissue with large air spaces found between the cells of the stems and leaves of aquatic plants. Aerenchyma provides buoyancy and allows the circulation of gases.