Parenchymal organs
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parenchymal organ definition anatomy
Parenchymal organs are the functional, solid tissue components of an organ, as distinct from its supporting framework, ducts, vessels, nerves, or cavities.
- Parenchyma: cells that carry out the organ's main function
- Stroma: supporting connective tissue, blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves
Examples
- Liver: hepatocytes are the parenchyma
- Kidney: nephrons in the cortex and medulla form the renal parenchyma
- Lung: alveoli and terminal respiratory structures constitute lung parenchyma
- Pancreas: acini and islets
- Spleen: white pulp and red pulp
- Brain: neurons and glial tissue
In pathology, “damage to a parenchymal organ” usually means injury to its function-producing cells. Many parenchymal organs have stable cells that are normally resting but can proliferate after injury, such as the liver and kidney. Robbins & Kumar Basic Pathology describes most parenchymal organs as containing normally quiescent cells capable of proliferation (p. 48).
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