ScienceAugust 4, 2026

adsorption

ad-SORP-shun

Definition

The process by which atoms, ions, or molecules from a substance (like pollutants) adhere to the surface of another material (such as a filter or a plastic particle).

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'ad-' (to) and 'sorbere' (to suck in). It was coined in the late 19th century to distinguish the surface-level attachment of particles from 'absorption,' which involves the substance being taken into the internal volume of the material.

In the news

In the article, adsorption is the mechanism by which therapeutic medical machines pull pollutants like PFAS and microplastics out of a patient's blood by binding them to the filter's surface.

Cholesterol Cleanup Cuts Chemicals, Plastics, Mystery Remains

Read the full article ↗

Mirage News

Related words

adsorber

A device or material designed to collect or hold molecules of a gas, liquid, or dissolved…

Science

anticoagulation

The process of preventing blood from clotting, often used in medical procedures to manage…

Science

apheresis

A medical procedure that separates blood into its components, removing specific…

Science

biomonitoring

The systematic measurement of chemical substances or their metabolites within human…

Science

chromatin

A substance composed of DNA and proteins found within the cell nucleus that forms the…

Science

eluate

The liquid substance extracted or removed from a solid material through a filtration,…

Science

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.