Stroma (animal tissue)

In animal tissue, stroma (from Greek στρῶμα, meaning “layer, bed, bed covering”) is the part of a tissue or organ that has a connective and structural role. It consists of all the parts which do not conduct the specific functions of the organ, for example, connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, ducts, etc. The other part is the parenchyma, which is the cells that perform the function of the tissue or organ. There are multiple ways of classifying tissues: one way of classifying tissues is based on their functions and another is based on their cellular components. Stromal tissue falls into the class that functions in contributing to the body’s support and movement. The cells that stroma tissues are composed of serve as a matrix in which the other cells are embedded. Stroma is made of various types of stromal cells.