Absorption vs. Resorption — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 2, 2024
Absorption involves taking in substances or energy from the environment, while resorption is the body's process of breaking down or assimilating tissues.
Difference Between Absorption and Resorption
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Absorption is a fundamental process where substances, such as nutrients or chemicals, are taken into cells or tissues from the environment. This process is crucial in various contexts, such as digestion in living organisms or moisture uptake in materials. Whereas, resorption specifically refers to the biological process where the body breaks down or assimilates its own tissues, often for the purpose of redistribution or recycling of nutrients.
Absorption can also occur in non-living systems, such as when a sponge absorbs water. This illustrates the process's versatility, applicable in both biological and material contexts. Resorption, however, is a biological process that allows for the dynamic remodeling of bone and the regulation of mineral balance, showcasing the body's ability to adapt to changing conditions.
Environmental factors can influence the rate of absorption. For instance, temperature and concentration gradients often affect how quickly a substance is absorbed. In contrast, factors influencing resorption include hormonal levels, nutritional status, and certain diseases, highlighting the body's complex regulatory mechanisms that maintain homeostasis.
While absorption is a broader concept applicable across various disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics, resorption is a more specific term that describes a physiological process unique to living organisms. This distinction emphasizes the different contexts in which these processes occur, with absorption being a more universally observed phenomenon, whereas resorption denotes a specialized biological function.
Comparison Chart
Definition
The process of taking in substances or energy from the environment.
The biological process of breaking down or assimilating tissues.
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Context
Can occur in both living and non-living systems.
Primarily occurs in living organisms.
Purpose
To nourish, hydrate, or otherwise incorporate external substances.
To recycle or redistribute the body's own materials.
Examples
Nutrient uptake in the gut, sponge absorbing water.
Bone tissue breakdown, redistribution of minerals.
Influencing Factors
Environmental conditions, such as temperature and concentration gradients.
Hormonal levels, nutritional status, disease conditions.
Compare with Definitions
Absorption
The process of energy being taken up by a system, not reflected or transmitted.
Sound absorption materials reduce noise in a room.
Resorption
The removal or dissolving of tissue or a substance within the body.
Tooth resorption can be a painful dental condition.
Absorption
Incorporation of nutrients into the body from the digestive tract.
Vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium.
Resorption
The physiological process of dismantling older bone tissue.
Hormonal imbalances can disrupt normal bone resorption and formation.
Absorption
The penetration of a liquid into a solid or porous substance.
The sponge's absorption capacity is impressive.
Resorption
The process of breaking down bone tissue to release minerals.
Bone resorption is a natural part of the body's calcium regulation.
Absorption
The assimilation of ideas or knowledge.
His quick absorption of the training material impressed his instructors.
Resorption
The breakdown of cells or tissues for redistribution of their components.
The resorption of damaged muscle tissue is part of the healing process.
Absorption
The process of taking substances into a material.
The absorption of sunlight by plants is crucial for photosynthesis.
Resorption
Resorption is the absorption into the circulatory system of cells or tissue, usually by osteoclasts.Types of resorption include:
Absorption
The act or process of absorbing or the condition of being absorbed.
Resorption
The process or action by which something is reabsorbed
The resorption of water
Absorption
A state of mental concentration.
Resorption
The act or process of resorbing.
Absorption
The act or process of absorbing or of being absorbed as,
Resorption
The act of resorbing.
Absorption
(obsolete) engulfing; swallowing up, as of bodies or land.
Resorption
The redissolving, wholly or in part, in the molten magma of an igneous rock, of crystals previously formed.
Absorption
Assimilation; incorporation.
The absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger
The absorption of bodies in a whirlpool
Resorption
(medicine) The loss and reassimilation of bone (or other) material.
Absorption
The imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action, of radiant energy; the process of being neutrons being absorbed by the nucleus; interception.
The absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
Resorption
The act of resorbing; also, the act of absorbing again; reabsorption.
Absorption
(meteorology) The process in which incident radiant energy is retained by a substance (such as an air mass) by conversion to some other form of energy (such as heat).
Resorption
The redissolving wholly or in part, in the molten magma of an igneous rock, of crystals previously formed. The dissolved material may again solidify, giving rise to a mass of small crystals, usually of a different kind.
Absorption
(physiology) in living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs; taking in by various means, such as by osmosis.
Resorption
The organic process in which the substance of some differentiated structure that has been produced by the body undergoes lysis and assimilation
Absorption
Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind.
Absorption in some employment
Absorption
Mental assimilation.
Absorption
(electrical engineering) The retaining of electrical energy for a short time after it has been introduced to the dielectric.
Absorption
The act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger.
Absorption
An imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
Absorption
In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs.
Absorption
Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment.
Absorption
(chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid
Absorption
(physics) the process in which incident radiated energy is retained without reflection or transmission on passing through a medium;
The absorption of photons by atoms or molecules
Absorption
The social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another
Absorption
The process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion
Absorption
Complete attention; intense mental effort
Absorption
The mental state of being preoccupied by something
Common Curiosities
Is resorption always a healthy process?
Resorption is a normal, healthy process for regulating body functions, but imbalances can lead to diseases such as osteoporosis.
How do environmental factors affect absorption?
Environmental factors like temperature and concentration gradients can significantly affect the rate of absorption.
Why is absorption important in nutrition?
Absorption is crucial in nutrition because it allows the body to take in and utilize nutrients from food.
How does resorption contribute to bone health?
Resorption contributes to bone health by enabling the remodeling and maintenance of bone density and strength.
What role do hormones play in resorption?
Hormones regulate resorption by signaling when and where the body should break down or assimilate tissues.
Can absorption be influenced by physical conditions?
Yes, physical conditions like the surface area and the permeability of the absorbing material can influence absorption rates.
What is the main difference between absorption and resorption?
The main difference is that absorption involves taking in substances from the environment, while resorption involves the breakdown and assimilation of the body's own tissues.
Can absorption occur in non-living systems?
Yes, absorption can occur in non-living systems, such as water being absorbed by a sponge.
What diseases are associated with abnormal resorption?
Diseases like osteoporosis and certain forms of arthritis are associated with abnormal resorption.
Can lifestyle choices affect resorption rates?
Yes, lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and smoking can affect resorption rates, impacting bone health and other bodily functions.
Can absorption apply to energy as well as substances?
Yes, absorption can also refer to energy, such as sound or light being absorbed and not reflected.
Is resorption reversible?
Resorption is part of a continuous cycle with formation in processes like bone remodeling, making its effects reversible to some extent.
What technologies enhance absorption?
Technologies like nanotechnology can enhance absorption by increasing surface area or altering solubility.
How do different substances affect absorption rates?
The chemical nature of a substance, such as its solubility and molecular size, can affect its absorption rate.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
