parenchyma
Americannoun
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Botany. the fundamental tissue of plants, composed of thin-walled cells able to divide.
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Anatomy, Zoology. the specific tissue of an animal organ as distinguished from its connective or supporting tissue.
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Zoology. a type of soft, spongy connective tissue of certain invertebrates, as the flatworms.
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Pathology. the functional tissue of a morbid growth.
noun
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unspecialized plant tissue consisting of simple thin-walled cells with intervening air spaces: constitutes the greater part of fruits, stems, roots, etc
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animal tissue that constitutes the essential or specialized part of an organ as distinct from the blood vessels, connective tissue, etc, associated with it
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loosely-packed tissue filling the spaces between the organs in lower animals such as flatworms
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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.
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Compare collenchyma sclerenchyma
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parenchyma
1645–55; < New Latin < Greek parénchyma literally, something poured in beside, equivalent to par- par- + énchyma infusion; see en- 2, chyme
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The air space found between the spongy parenchyma cells allows gaseous exchange between the leaf and the outside atmosphere through the stomata.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Below the palisade parenchyma are loosely arranged cells of an irregular shape.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Phloem tissue is composed of sieve-tube cells, companion cells, phloem parenchyma, and phloem fibers.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The tissue consists of conducting cells, known as tracheids, and supportive filler tissue, called parenchyma.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
A section at this period closely resembles one of an adult sponge, except that the structure is more compact, the parenchyma being relatively bulky and the canals of small diameter.
From Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa by Annandale, Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
