microsphere

[ mahy-kroh-sfeer ]

noun

1. a tiny sphere or bead, often hollow or filled with some other substance: used for a variety of purposes, such as in building materials, cosmetics, and scientific research.
2. Medicine/Medical.
   1. a tiny hollow sphere injected into a blood vessel in order to block the flow of blood to a tumor and, in some cases, deliver chemicals or radiation to kill the tumor’s cells.
   2. a tiny hollow sphere that can be injected into the bloodstream or, sometimes, implanted into a tissue of the body: used therapeutically to deliver medicine or nutrients, or diagnostically to study the flow of blood to a certain area.

Word History and Origins

Origin of microsphere¹

First recorded in 1890–95; micro- ( def ) + sphere ( def )

Example Sentences

Keratin microsphere gel, consisting of keratin-based microspheres that swell in water to form a gel, has shown efficacy in promoting hair follicle growth in murine models.

From Science Daily

When water-based keratin microsphere gel was applied to the shaved backs of mice, hair regrowth commenced on the second day post-application, with the rate of growth subsequently accelerating.

From Science Daily

These findings represent the first evidence of the hair growth-promoting properties of keratin microsphere gel.

From Science Daily

The microsphere technology, not found on the previous Apex, was first introduced in the company’s Rogue line of irons.

From Golf Digest

I own the pigeons sleeping beneath the overpasses and the shadows of pine trees and the corn husks in a paper bag on the porch and the ants on the bottle of barbecue sauce, ants all over the cupcakes and watermelon wedges, huge black carpenter ants and raspberry crazy ants, and the almost invisible warp-speed ants like cartoon swashbucklers of the microsphere,

From The New Yorker