Chlorenchyma

/klɔːˈrɛŋkɪmə/ noun

Definition

Plant tissue containing chloroplasts that performs photosynthesis; the green tissue in leaves that captures light energy.

Etymology

From chlor- (green) + -enchyma (Greek egkhuma, infusion, tissue). Botanical term coined in the 19th century to describe the specialized photosynthetic tissue in plants.

Kelly Says

Chlorenchyma is the machinery of life—it's the actual green tissue where plants turn sunlight into sugar through photosynthesis, and it's found mainly in leaves where it has maximum exposure to light.

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