epäselektiivinen

Epäselektiivinen is a Finnish adjective that translates to "non-selective" or "indiscriminate" in English. It describes something that does not make distinctions or choices, affecting or acting upon all available options equally without preference.

The term can be applied in various contexts. In chemistry, an epäselektiivinen reagent or catalyst reacts with multiple types of molecules or functional groups without specifically targeting one. This can be advantageous in certain synthetic pathways where broad reactivity is desired, but it can also lead to unwanted side products and complicate purification.

In a more general sense, epäselektiivinen can refer to actions or processes that are broad in scope and lack specificity. For example, an epäselektiivinen herbicide might kill all plant life it comes into contact with, rather than targeting only weeds. Similarly, an epäselektiivinen search might cast a wide net, retrieving all potentially relevant information without prioritizing or filtering.

The opposite of epäselektiivinen is selektiivinen, meaning selective or specific. A selective process or agent would target and act upon only particular items or conditions, excluding others. Understanding the degree of selectivity is crucial in many scientific and technical fields to predict outcomes and design effective procedures.