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Anion
Anions travel towards a positive pole known as an anode. A pole is one of two points that are at the extremes (for example, the positive and negative poles). Examples of anions are phosphate (a type of salt) and bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is a substance in the blood that prevents it from becoming too acidic or too alkaline (non-acidic).
See the entry for ions to learn how anions are important to the body and how abnormal levels of anions can cause problems. Compare anions to cations, which are ions with positive electrical charges. Anion is sometimes abbreviated as A-. The word "anion" is Greek "backward going."
An ion with a negative electric charge. An ion is an atom or a group of atoms that have an electric charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons. An atom is the smallest part of a substance that can exist alone or in combination with something else. An electron is a negatively charged particle that is smaller than an atom. Since an electron has a negative charge, if an atom gains too many electrons it is considered negative (because there will be more negative charges than positive charges).
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