Stroma (tissue)

Stroma
Prostate under a microscope This image shows the microscopic glands of the prostate
Details
Part of	Connective tissue
Identifiers
Latin	stroma
TH	H2.00.00.0.00003
FMA	81494 81494, 81494
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Stroma (from Ancient Greek στρῶμα  'layer, bed, bed covering') is the part of a tissue or organ with a structural or connective role. It is made up of all the parts without specific functions of the organ - for example, connective tissue, blood vessels, ducts, etc. The other part, the parenchyma, consists of the cells that perform the function of the tissue or organ.^[1]

There are multiple ways of classifying tissues: one classification scheme is based on tissue functions and another analyzes their cellular components. Stromal tissue falls into the "functional" class that contributes to the body's support and movement. The cells which make up stroma tissues serve as a matrix in which the other cells are embedded.^[2] Stroma is made of various types of stromal cells.

Examples of stroma include:

• stroma of iris
• stroma of cornea
• stroma of ovary
• stroma of thyroid gland
• stroma of thymus
• stroma of bone marrow
• lymph node stromal cell
• multipotent stromal cell (mesenchymal stem cell)