Säätelykudos

Säätelykudos, often translated as regulatory tissue or adaptive tissue, is a concept primarily used in Finnish scientific and sometimes public discourse to describe biological tissues or systems that exhibit significant plasticity and adaptability in response to environmental changes or internal signals. It's not a distinct histological classification like epithelial or connective tissue, but rather a functional descriptor.

This adaptability can manifest in various ways, such as changes in size, structure, metabolic activity, or cell number. For instance, tissues that undergo hypertrophy or atrophy in response to mechanical stress or hormonal influences could be considered examples of säätelykudos. Similarly, tissues involved in immune responses or wound healing, which dynamically alter their composition and function, might also fall under this umbrella term.

The concept emphasizes the dynamic nature of biological organization, highlighting that many tissues are not static entities but rather actively adjust to maintain homeostasis or respond to challenges. While the term itself may not be universally recognized in international biological nomenclature, the underlying biological phenomena it describes are well-established and researched across various fields, including physiology, endocrinology, and developmental biology. The focus is on the tissue's capacity for regulated change rather than its fixed structural identity.