Stroma
/ˈstroʊmə/noun
The supporting framework or connective tissue of an organ, or the tissue surrounding functional cells in a structure such as a plant chloroplast.
Did you know?The Greek plural form, stromata, inspired the title of Clement of Alexandria’s Stromateis, a theological miscellany metaphorically described as a collection of richly woven pieces.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sterh₃-
“To spread out, stretch, or scatter across a surface”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στρώννυμι (strṓnnymi)
“To spread, lay out, or make a bed”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στρῶμα (strôma)
“A thing spread out; a bed, mattress, covering, or layer”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Στρωματεῖς (Stromateis)
““Carpets” or woven miscellanies; a title for a work arranged from diverse materials”
Late Latin
Latin
strōma
“A covering, layer, or supporting material, borrowed from Greek”
19th Century
New Latin
stroma
“The supporting substance or framework of a biological structure”
Modern English
English
stroma
“The structural tissue surrounding or supporting the functional parts of an organ or cell”