attrac'tion

[L. a i ira here, to draw toward.] The tendency of two bodies to approach each other. a. par'tide, centriole, a minute spot in the center of the a. sphere, a. sphere, the centrosome with the surrounding radially arranged protoplasm; a small body in the nucleus, or in the cytoplasm near the nucleus, supposed to be an independent and indispensable constituent of the cell; it plays an important part in mitosis, cap'illary a., the force which causes fluids to rise through very fine tubes or the pores of a loose material, chem'ical a., the force impelling atoms of different elements or molecules to tmite to form new substances or compounds, magnet'ic a., the force which draws iron or steel toward a magnet.