Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton was, according to River Song, "basically life support."

One such exoskeleton, in the form of a space suit, was owned by the Silence, and had about 20 different kinds of alien technology in it. River claimed that, with it on, you didn't even need to eat. The exoskeleton processed sunlight directly, and had built-in weaponry and a communications system that could hack into anything. In 1969, the Silence trapped Melody Pond in one, but she managed to break it open and escape. (TV: Day of the Moon)

Behind the scenes
In the real world, the term 'exoskeleton' refers only to natural protective external skeletons of Earth animals, rather than technology to support life. Real-world exoskeletons do, however, fulfil much the same functions to the animal as their DWU counterparts do to their inhabitants.