Which term refers to the functional tissue of an organ?

Which term refers to the functional tissue of an organ?

• A. Cortex
• B. Parenchyma
• C. Stroma
• D. Medulla

Answer: (B)

The functional tissue of an organ is called parenchyma. Parenchyma consists of the cells that actually perform the organ’s specific work, such as hepatocytes in the liver carrying out metabolism and detoxification. The surrounding framework that supports and nourishes this activity is the stroma, which includes connective tissue, blood vessels, and other non–functional components. Regions like the cortex or medulla are anatomical compartments within some organs and don’t define the tissue’s function. So the term that best describes the tissue doing the organ’s job is parenchyma.

The functional tissue of an organ is called parenchyma. Parenchyma consists of the cells that actually perform the organ’s specific work, such as hepatocytes in the liver carrying out metabolism and detoxification. The surrounding framework that supports and nourishes this activity is the stroma, which includes connective tissue, blood vessels, and other non–functional components. Regions like the cortex or medulla are anatomical compartments within some organs and don’t define the tissue’s function. So the term that best describes the tissue doing the organ’s job is parenchyma.