adsorption /adsôrp″shən/ [L, ad + sorbere, to suck in] , n, a natural process whereby molecules of a gas or liquid adhere to the surface of a solid. The phenomenon depends on an assortment of factors such as surface tension and electrical charges. Many biological reactions involve adsorption. Adsorption is the principle on which chromatography is based and which allows for the separation of a mixture into component fractions for qualitative analysis. See also chromatography. −adsorb, v.
