somattin

Somattin is a term used in speculative biology and science fiction to name a class of intercellular signaling molecules associated with tissue-level communication. In many portrayals, somattin functions as a messenger produced by somatic cells in response to stress, injury, or developmental cues, and acts on recipient cells to coordinate repair, metabolism, growth, and regeneration. The concept exists mainly as a fictional or hypothetical construct rather than a designation accepted in mainstream biology.

Etymology and origins are informal. The name appears to be built from soma, meaning body, combined with a fictional suffix such as -ttin. It arose in online speculative discussions and has since appeared in various novels, games, and educational explorations of signaling systems. Because it is not a standardized scientific term, its exact definition varies by author and context.

In fiction and related discourse, somattin is described with a range of properties. Some depictions treat it as a peptide hormone or cytokine-like molecule, others as a small molecule or a multi-subunit protein complex. Its effects are similarly diverse: it may coordinate tissue repair, regulate metabolism, modulate immune responses, or enable cross-tissue communication across organs or even species in extrapolated scenarios. Receptors and signaling pathways associated with somattin are typically described as being highly specific to certain cell types or tissues.

Real-world biology includes many authentic signaling molecules such as cytokines, hormones, and growth factors. Somattin, by contrast, remains a fictional or speculative construct used for world-building, educational illustration, and discussions about the plausibility of intercellular communication.