What is another term for "theoretical tissue" in diving terminology?

In diving terminology, "theoretical tissue" refers specifically to compartments within the body that are modeled to predict and understand nitrogen absorption and elimination during a dive. This concept is integral to decompression theory, as it assists divers and dive computers in managing the risk of decompression sickness by modeling how nitrogen behaves in different tissue types during various stages of ascent and descent.

Each compartment represents a different rate of uptake and release of nitrogen, corresponding to the varying blood flow and physical characteristics of body tissues. By segmenting tissues into compartments, divers can utilize this information to calculate safe ascent rates and decompression stops based on the modeled behavior of these theoretical tissues.

The other terms, while related, do not capture the specific meaning that "compartment" holds in this context. "Cell" and "matrix" are more general biological terms, and "layer" could refer to various stratifications in different contexts and is not typically used to denote the specific compartments relevant to diving physiology. Thus, "compartment" is the most accurate term associated with the concept of theoretical tissue in diving.