Filamentti

Filamentti is a Finnish term meaning filament, used across several technical and everyday contexts. The word derives from Latin filum, meaning thread, and has been borrowed into Finnish from English in modern technical language.

In biology and related sciences, filamentti denotes any slender, threadlike structure. This includes filamentous forms such as fungal hyphae, bacterial filaments, and filamentous variants of cyanobacteria. In cell biology, it can also refer to long, threadlike protein polymers such as actin filaments that support cellular shape and movement.

In textiles and materials science, filamentti refers to a continuous filament fiber, as opposed to staple fibers that come in short lengths. Continuous filaments are used to make smooth, strong yarns for fabrics, ropes, and composite materials. Filaments can be natural, such as silk, or synthetic, including various polymers processed by extrusion or melt-spinning.

In contemporary manufacturing and consumer technology, filamentti is prominently used to describe the feedstock strands for 3D printing. Common filaments include PLA, ABS, PETG, and nylon, typically supplied on spools in standard diameters such as 1.75 mm or 2.85–3.0 mm. The properties of the filament determine the printing behavior, strength, and finish of the final object.

In lighting and electronics, the term is also used to refer to a filament wire inside incandescent bulbs, which glows when heated by an electric current. Filamentti in this sense denotes the thin metal wire that emits light as it resists current.

See also: filament, Filamentti in Finnish usage, filament (biology), filament (3D printing).