Extracellular matrix that forms the stroma of organs and is derived from mesenchymal cells is called?

Extracellular matrix that forms the stroma of organs and is derived from mesenchymal cells is called?

• A. Interstitium
• B. Basement membrane
• C. Hyaluronic acid
• D. Collagen

Answer: (A)

The interstitium. The stroma is the connective tissue framework surrounding organ parenchyma, produced by mesenchymal cells like fibroblasts and rich in the extracellular matrix they secrete (including collagen and other components). The basement membrane is a specialized thin sheet under epithelia and vessels, not the whole stromal framework. Hyaluronic acid is an important ECM component, contributing to the gel-like ground substance, but it doesn’t define the entire stroma. Collagen is a major component of the interstitium, yet the best overall name for the whole stromal extracellular matrix is the interstitium.

The interstitium. The stroma is the connective tissue framework surrounding organ parenchyma, produced by mesenchymal cells like fibroblasts and rich in the extracellular matrix they secrete (including collagen and other components). The basement membrane is a specialized thin sheet under epithelia and vessels, not the whole stromal framework. Hyaluronic acid is an important ECM component, contributing to the gel-like ground substance, but it doesn’t define the entire stroma. Collagen is a major component of the interstitium, yet the best overall name for the whole stromal extracellular matrix is the interstitium.