chelation

[ kee-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. Chemistry. the process of chelating.
2. Medicine/Medical.
   1. a method of removing certain heavy metals from the bloodstream, used especially in treating lead or mercury poisoning.
   2. a controversial treatment for arteriosclerosis that attempts to remove calcium deposits from the inner walls of the coronary arteries.

chelation

/ ˈkiːleɪʃən /

noun

1. chem the process by which a chelate is formed
2. animal husbandry the process by which trace elements in an animal's feed are bonded to amino acids, ensuring their absorption into the animal's body
3. geology the chemical removal of metallic ions in a mineral or rock by weathering

chelation

/ kĭ-lā′shən /

1. The combination of a metal ion with a chemical compound to form a ring. Chelation is used in the industrial separation and extraction of metals and to treat metal poisoning.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chelation¹

First recorded in 1930–35; chelate + -ion

Example Sentences

None of them have any basis in fact, and in the case of chelation therapy can be genuinely dangerous.

From The Daily Beast