Substansseja

Substansseja is the Finnish plural form of substanssi, meaning substances. The term refers to materials with a definite composition and characteristic properties. In chemistry, a substance is a material with a uniform and fixed composition, which can be an element or a chemical compound. Substances are contrasted with mixtures (seokset), which have variable composition and are made up of two or more substances.

Etymology and form: Substanssi is borrowed from Swedish substans, which in turn traces to Latin substantia, meaning essence or substance. The plural form substansseja follows Finnish grammar for indicating multiple items in a general, non-countable sense.

Usage and scope: Substansseja is used in scientific and technical Finnish to refer to individual substances in discussions and inventories. Examples include water (H2O) and sodium chloride (NaCl). In pharmacology and toxicology, the term appears in contexts describing chemical substances, active ingredients, and other materials relevant to safety, efficacy, or regulation. In everyday language, the concept aligns with the broader Finnish term aine, though substanssi emphasizes fixed composition and material reality rather than an abstract essence.

Notes: The concept of substanssi/substansseja covers elements and compounds as pure substances, while seokset are mixtures of multiple substances. The terminology varies by field, and in some contexts more common terms like aine or vaikuttava aine may be preferred. Related terms include aine, seos, and puhtaus.

See also: substanssi, aine, seos, puhtaus.