Definition of "stroma" [‖Stro•ma]

• The connective tissue framework of an organ, gland, or other structure, as distinguished from the tissues performing the special function of the organ or part. (noun)
• The spongy, colorless framework of a red blood cell or other cell. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "After age 40, the changes in the breasts become more pronounced, as fatty tissue begins to replace the supportive, fibrous tissue known as the stroma, and skin starts to sag more — regardless of whether a woman has had kids, and nursed them, or not."
• "The stroma is a peculiar soft tissue, abundantly supplied with bloodvessels, consisting for the most part of spindle-shaped cells with a small amount of ordinary connective tissue."
• "Fibroblasts are found in connective tissue, which includes cartilage and the cellular matrix known as stroma that provides support to body structures, such as organs, glands and also tumors."