surfactant

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English

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Etymology

Blend of surface-active +‎ agent.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /səɹˈfæktənt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

surfactant (plural surfactants)

  1. (chemistry) A surface-active agent, or wetting agent, capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid; typically organic compounds having a hydrophilic “head” and a hydrophobic “tail”.
    Synonym: tenside
    • 2023 December 6, Jessica DeFino, “Too Many Products Can Stress Out Your Skin. Here’s How to Scale Back.”, in The New York Times‎:
      Dr. Khorana added that this is especially true of cleansers that feature surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate, as this class of ingredients can cause “dryness, irritation and eczema.”
  2. (biochemistry) A lipoprotein in the tissues of the lung that reduces surface tension and permits more efficient gas transport.
    • 2015 November 25, “Expression and Localization of Lung Surfactant Proteins in Human Testis”, in PLOS ONE‎, →DOI:
      It is conceivable that impairment of surfactant proteins is due to rheological and immunodefensive disorders of testis and epididymis or prostate.

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