stroma

noun (plural stromata /-mətə/)

• 1 Anatomy & Biology the supportive tissue of an epithelial organ, tumor, gonad, etc., consisting of connective tissues and blood vessels.
• the spongy framework of protein fibers in a red blood cell or platelet.
• Botany the matrix of a chloroplast, in which the grana are embedded.

• 2 Botany a cushionlike mass of fungal tissue, having spore-bearing structures either embedded in it or on its surface.