Parenchyma facts for kids
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Parenchyma (pronounced "puh-REN-kih-muh") is the main working part of an animal organ or a growth like a tumour. Think of it as the "functional" tissue that does the important jobs. For example, in your lungs, the parenchyma helps you breathe. In flatworms, parenchyma is the tissue that fills their bodies.
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What Does Parenchyma Mean?
The word parenchyma comes from an old Greek word meaning 'visceral flesh' or 'to pour in'.
Long ago, doctors like Erasistratus used this word to describe certain tissues in the human body. Later, a scientist named Nehemiah Grew also used it for plant tissues.
How Parenchyma Works
Parenchyma is the functional part of an organ. This means it's the tissue that performs the organ's specific tasks. For example, in your liver, the parenchyma cells do most of the work.
This is different from the stroma, which is the structural tissue. The stroma is like the framework or support system of an organ, often made of connective tissue.
Brain Parenchyma
The brain parenchyma is the working tissue in your brain. It's made up of two main types of brain cell: neurons (which send messages) and glial cells (which support neurons).
This brain tissue also contains proteins like collagen. If the brain parenchyma gets hurt, it can affect your thinking or even be very serious. Bleeding inside this brain tissue is called an intraparenchymal hemorrhage.
Lung Parenchyma
Lung parenchyma is the part of your lung that helps you breathe. It includes the tiny air sacs called pulmonary alveoli. These are where your body takes in oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide.
Liver Parenchyma
The liver parenchyma is the main working tissue of your liver. It makes up about 80% of the liver's size. Most of these cells are called hepatocytes, which do many important jobs like cleaning your blood.
Other cells in the liver are called non-parenchymal cells. They are also important, but they don't do the main work of the liver.
Kidney Parenchyma
The renal parenchyma is the working tissue of your kidney. It has two main parts:
- The outer renal cortex
- The inner renal medulla
These parts form cone-shaped sections called renal lobes. Each lobe has cortex tissue around a part of the medulla called a renal pyramid. These structures help your kidneys filter blood and make urine.
Parenchyma in Growths
In a solid growth or tumour, the tumor parenchyma is one of two main parts. The parenchyma is made of the unusual cells that are growing.
The other part is the stroma. This stroma is created by the unusual cells and helps them get nutrients and remove waste. In many growths, groups of parenchymal cells are separated by a thin layer called a basal lamina.
Parenchyma in Flatworms
Parenchyma is also the tissue that fills the inside of a flatworm's body. Flatworms don't have a body cavity like humans do. This tissue is spongy and is also known as mesenchymal tissue.
It contains different types of cells, including muscle cells (myocytes) and other specialized cells. These cells are often connected to each other and to nearby skin cells. The types of cells in the parenchyma can be different depending on the flatworm species and where they are in the body.
Parenchyma in flatworms can have many jobs, such as:
- Helping to support the body
- Storing nutrients
- Helping with movement
