Kainalo

Kainalo is the Finnish word for the armpit, the hollow beneath the shoulder where the upper arm meets the torso. It corresponds to the anatomical region known in many languages as the axilla.

The axilla houses adipose tissue, a complex network of sweat glands, hair follicles, and lymph nodes, as well as portions of the brachial plexus and the axillary vessels, which carry blood to and from the upper limb. The area serves as a conduit for nerves and vessels entering the arm and is involved in immune function through its lymph nodes. Clinically, the axillary region is examined in breast cancer to assess lymph node involvement, and procedures such as lymph node biopsy or dissection may involve this area.

The skin in the kainalo often contains hair follicles and sweat glands, contributing to body odor through apocrine secretion in some individuals; deodorants are commonly used to manage odor and moisture.

The term kainalo is used widely in Finnish everyday language for the body part and appears in medical, educational, and general contexts. The concept corresponds to the axilla in anatomy and is equivalent to the armpit in English. See also axilla and armpit for related terminology.