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The cells of some organ or tissue are dividing and also dies (apoptosis). But this happens in somehow controlled manner so that the total size of the organ is approximately preserved or the total number of cells approximately stays the same. As far as I understand, this is somehow collective process, because cells in one side of the tissues should somehow coordinate the division/apoptosis processes with the cells of the far side. I have read in one book about cells, that such controlling mechanisms are purely undesrtood even today. Of course, such mechanisms work only approximately (or - to be more precise - they are more complex than just static preservation of the size/number), e.g. numberadipose cells can increase with time.

But anyway - my question is - what is the name/term for such controlling mechanisms and what are other important keywords/terms which I can use for searching more research papers about this theme?

I have specific interest in the control of those processes, e.g., with the aim to bound those processes for adipose cells and to encourage those processes for the muscle cell.

"cell cycle control" and Hippo-pathways mechanisms can be the answers, but I am still searching for the matter.

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'Eutely' is the term used for organisms with a fixed number of somatic cells. I'm not aware of any term for sub-organismic structures.

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to SE Biology. Answers here should be supported by some sort of external authority or verification so people can check if they are correct. I realize it is not difficult to look up the word you suggest, but it would be better if you could edit your answer to provide a link. The format is square brackets for the linked text and normal brackets for the link, with no spaces between (unlike my example to demonstrate): [Eutely] (simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutely) $\endgroup$
    – David
    Commented Sep 30, 2019 at 8:56
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You are referring to organ “scaling” and “allometry”.

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  • $\begingroup$ We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed. $\endgroup$
    – WYSIWYG
    Commented Sep 30, 2019 at 12:02
  • $\begingroup$ "what is the name/term for such controlling mechanisms and what are other important keywords/terms which I can use for searching more research papers about this theme?" The question asks for a search term. Judging an answer by length is like judging an airplane by weight. $\endgroup$
    – J--
    Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 14:44
  • $\begingroup$ I am not merely judging by length. The comment above is a standard statement for "insufficient explanation" that I just copy-pasted. Your answer could be better if you provided some explanation or references (or both). $\endgroup$
    – WYSIWYG
    Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 15:25
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    $\begingroup$ Allometry is in my view a correct answer. I have no quarrel with that. I agree however that the answer is best expanded on a little bit. I don't think a good answer is one that is minimally sufficient, because they are not explanatory nor pedagogical. Scaling and allometry are not the same thing; it would be prudent to explain each, ideally with an example, or at least a link to a useful, practical page that works the explanation well. I also do not think that considering allometric relationships addresses the question completely; there is emphasis on the control aspect of organ size. $\endgroup$
    – S Pr
    Commented Oct 3, 2019 at 14:04

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