The mechanism of action of probiotics (e.g., having an impact on the intestinal microbiota or enhancing immune function) was dropped from the definition to encompass health effects due to novel mechanisms and to allow application of the term before the mechanism is confirmed.
Noun. 1. electronegativity - (chemistry) the tendency of an atom or radical to attract electrons in the formation of an ionic bond. negativity.
Atoms in a covalent bond are held together by electrostatic forces of attraction between positively charged nuclei and negatively charged shared electrons. Electronegativity (see Patterns in the Periodic Table) is the measure the attraction of an atom involved in a bond has for the electrons of the bond. When two atoms bonded by a covalent bond have the same electronegativity the electrons will be equally shared. This is called pure (non-polar) covalent bonding.