Describing a substance that has undergone coacervation, where tiny droplets of one liquid phase separate from another liquid phase in a process similar to how oil and water separate.
From Latin 'coacervare' (to heap up together), derived from 'co-' (together) and 'acervus' (heap). The term was adapted into English in the early 20th century to describe a chemical phenomenon.
Coacervation is how your cells create tiny compartments without needing a solid wall—the droplets just naturally repel each other and form boundaries, which is how scientists think the very first life might have organized itself billions of years ago!
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