cellulära

Cellulära is a Swedish adjective meaning cellular and is used to describe things that pertain to cells or to cell-like structures. The term is common across biology, medicine, and related fields, and appears in phrases such as cellulära vävnader, cellulära processer, and cellulära strukturer, typically referring to phenomena at the cellular level rather than at tissue or organ scales.

In biology and medicine, cellulära denotes aspects tied to the cell as the basic unit of life. Examples include cellulära metabolism, cellmembran (cell membrane), organeller such as mitokondrier and ribosomer, and signaling pathways that operate inside individual cells. The term helps distinguish phenomena observed at the cellular scale from those occurring at higher biological levels, such as tissues or organs. It is also used in microscopy and physiology to describe cellular morphology, division, and interactions.

Beyond biology, cellulära appears in other domains. In telecommunications, cellulära nätverk describes mobile networks organized into cells. In computer science, cellulära automater (cellular automata) refer to discrete models of computation based on grid-based cells following simple rules. In materials science, cellulära (cellular) describes foams or porous materials with cell-like cavities, where the internal architecture influences mechanical properties and transport.

Etymology: from Latin cellula, meaning a small cell; cognates exist in many languages. The term is used broadly but without implying a single, universal definition across disciplines.