Absorption Definition

Absorption, in biology, is the process of taking or assimilating substances into the cell or
across the tissues by the process of diffusion or osmosis.

 Absorption of substances into a cell or tissue usually occurs through the general surface
of the cell.
 The rate and process of absorption depend on a number of factors like the concentration
of the substance, surface area and duration of contact, and solubility of the material.
 The substance that is taken in is termed absorbate, whereas the substance that takes in the
absorbate is terms absorbent.
 Absorption takes place due to the presence of empty spaces within the molecules of the
absorbent, which are then filled by the molecules of absorbate.
 The process of absorption might occur either without the application of energy (diffusion)
or with the expenditure of energy (active transport).
 Absorption is an endothermic process where the heat energy of the system increases after
taking in new molecules.
 In most of the cases of absorption, solid substances dissolve in the liquid phase and then
are absorbed into the cell or tissue.
 Absorption is a bulk phenomenon where the absorbed material is uniformly distributed
throughout the absorbent and thus affects the entire system.
  Absorption occurs in all living and non-living systems either to intake nutrients or to
maintain the homeostasis or concentration of substances across a surface.
 The interactions between the absorbent and absorbate are physical and non-specific.
Also, no chemical forces are involved.

Adsorption Definition
Adsorption is the process of adhesion of molecules of liquid or gases onto the surface of a
solid particle.

 This is the ability of solid particles/surfaces to attract the molecules of liquid and gas
towards their surface after they come in contact with the molecules.
 Adsorption is a surface phenomenon where the molecules form a layer of adsorbate
around the adsorbent.
 The process of adsorption occurs due to the surface energy where the attachment is
facilitated either by Van der Wall’s force or by covalent bonds depending on the nature
of the substances involved.
 In physical adsorption molecules are attached to each other simply by Van der Wall force
of attraction and no chemical specificity is present between the particles.
 In chemical adsorption, however, bonds are formed between the adsorbate and the
adsorbent and the bonds are specific for each adsorbate-adsorbent combination.
 Adsorption is widely utilized in various separation techniques like adsorption
chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography.
 These processes allow the separation of molecules by selectively transferring the
molecules of the liquid phase onto the surface of solid adsorbent.
 Adsorption is also utilized by viruses where they attach to the surface of either bacteria or
other organisms before penetration.
 Adsorption is affected by a number of factors depending on the nature of the substances
involved.
 Some common factors include pressure, temperature, area of contact, and the nature of
the interaction between the adsorbent and the adsorbate.
 The process of adsorption is always exothermic as it leads to a decrease in the residual
forces on the surface of the adsorbate.

Key differences (Absorption vs Adsorption)

Basis for
Absorption Adsorption
comparison
 Absorption is the process of
taking or assimilating Adsorption is the process of
substances into a surface adhesion of molecules of
Definition
like a cell or across the liquid or gases onto the
tissues by the process of surface of a solid particle.
diffusion or osmosis.
Adsorption is a surface
Absorption is a bulk
phenomenon where the
phenomenon where
Phenomenon molecules simply attach to
molecules of absorbate enter
the surface of the
into the absorbent.
adsorbent.
Substances get adsorbed
Substances get absorbed onto the surface of an
into an absorbent due to the adsorbent because the
Principle
availability of space and the adsorbent has vacant spaces
nature of the particle. that stimulate the adhesion
of particles onto the spaces.
Absorption is an
Adsorption is an
endothermic process as the
exothermic process as the
energy is given from the
energy of the surface
Heat exchange outside of the surface, and
decreases as it leads to a
the overall energy of the
reduction in residual forces
absorbent increases after
of the surface.
absorption.
The rate of adsorption
Absorption takes place at a
Rate increases steadily until it
uniform rate.
reaches equilibrium.
The absorbed materials The adsorbed materials
remain in the absorbent remain attached to the
Bonding without having any adsorbent with either Van
chemical interactions with der Wall’s forces or
the absorbent. covalent bonds.
Absorption doesn’t depend Adsorption is a
Temperature on the temperature of the temperature-dependent
system. phenomenon.
The adsorbate is more
The concentration of the
concentrated on the surface
Concentration absorbate in the absorbent is
than the other parts of the
uniform after absorption.
adsorbent.
Separation Absorbed materials can be Adsorbed materials can be
separated into different separated by passing new
phases based on their substance through the
chemical interaction with surface of the adsorbent,
the phases. which replaces the
previously adsorbed

Various living and non-
living systems utilize
absorption. Living systems
like unicellular organisms
use the absorption
Application
phenomenon for the intake
of nutrients and water. Non-
living systems like
refrigerators utilize
absorption for cold storage.
material.
Various living and non-
living systems also utilize
adsorption. Living systems
like viruses use the
phenomenon of adsorption
for attachment to the
bacteria or other organisms.
Separation processes like
adsorption chromatography
use the principle of
adsorption for the
separation of mixtures.

Examples of Absorption
Skin absorption

 Skin absorption is the process of taking in substances through the surface of skin either
just into the skin or into circulation.
 Skin absorption provides a route for the entry of chemicals into the body either as toxins
or as medication.
 The process of absorption in skin affected by a number of factors like the concentration
of the substance, duration, and area of contact, the solubility of the chemicals, and the
physical condition of the skin.
 The absorption process in the skin is a passive process that doesn’t require the
expenditure of energy.
 The most crucial application of skin absorption is the dermal application of medicine
which allows a localized action, unlike ingestion and injection.
 However, the nature of skin to absorb things might also lead to skin diseases like
dermatitis. Prolonged exposure to chemicals results in the absorption of larger volumes of
chemicals that are harmful to the skin and the body.

Intestinal absorption

 Absorption of nutrients and water into circulation is one of the important functions of the
digestive system.
 Absorption in the digestive system is an active process that takes place by the expenditure
of energy.
 The epithelium surface of the small and large intestine absorbs nutrients and water which
are later passed into circulation.
  Intestine, unlike skin, does a selective absorption of substances, ensuring the entry of
only necessary and essential materials.

Absorption refrigerators

 Absorption refrigerators are a special type of refrigeration system that utilizes the concept
of absorption for the cooling of substances.
 These refrigerators first evaporate the refrigerant liquid, which is then absorbed by
another liquid to create a low partial pressure.
 Finally, the refrigerant liquid is heated to evaporate the heat out of the refrigerator.
 Absorption refrigerators are commonly used in recreational vehicles (RVs) and caravans
as they can operate on propane fuel rather than electricity.

Examples of Adsorption
Adsorption of viruses

 During viral infections, the first step in viral replication is the attachment and adsorption
of the virus on the surface of the organism.
 Adsorption of the virus is achieved when the specific proteins on the viral capsid bind to
the receptors present on the surface of the organism.
 These interactions are highly specific and play an essential role in viral replication.
 The interactions are chemical bonds that are formed between different proteins.
 Viral adsorption is affected by the pH change and temperature of the surface.

Adsorption chromatography

 Adsorption chromatography is a separation technique that utilizes the principle of

adsorption for the separation of various particles in a mixture.
 Based on the affinity of the particles in the mixture to the stationary phase, bonds are
formed, which helps in the separation of materials with higher affinity and lower affinity.
 The particles of the mixture move through the stationary phase where the particles adsorb
onto the vacant spaces on the stationary phase.
 The molecules with lower affinity simply move through the system and are collected
separately.
 The interactions formed between the particles and the stationary phase is specific and are
mostly chemical bonds.

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