Vevsmråder

Vevsmråder, meaning tissue areas, is a term used in histology and anatomy to describe spatially distinct regions within a tissue that differ in cellular composition, extracellular matrix, vascularization, metabolic activity, or gene expression. The concept reflects how tissues are organized into functional units that contribute to overall organ performance.

These regions may arise during development through patterning and differentiation or through ongoing adaptation to mechanical forces, nutrients, or signaling cues. Boundaries between vevsmråder can be well defined by morphological features or molecular markers, or they may blend gradually into neighboring areas. Some areas are relatively stable across life, while others change with growth, aging, or disease.

Studying vevsmråder relies on histology and imaging methods, including light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and increasingly transcriptomic or proteomic mapping. Creating atlases of tissue organization helps scientists understand normal physiology as well as pathologies.

Examples include hepatic zonation, where periportal and pericentral regions exhibit different metabolic functions; brain cortex versus subcortical regions with distinct neuronal populations; and tumor microenvironments, where cancerous and stromal areas form diverse niches that influence growth and treatment response.