-enchyma

Also ‑enchyme and ‑enchymal.

Cellular tissue.

Greek enkhuma, infusion, from khūmos, juice.

The most common example is parenchyma (Greek para‑, beside), in anatomy the functional tissue of an organ as distinguished from the connective and supporting tissue. Others include sclerenchyma (Greek sklēros, hard), strengthening tissue in plants formed from cells with thickened walls; and collenchyma (Greek kolla, glue), plant tissue strengthened by thickened cell walls.

Less commonly, such terms appear spelled ‑enchyme: collenchyme, parenchyme. Mesenchyme (Greek mesos, middle) is more common in this spelling than as mesenchyma; it refers to loosely organized embryonic tissue which develops into connective and skeletal tissues, including blood and lymph. All form adjectives in ‑enchymal (mesenchymal, parenchymal, sclerenchymal).