A Solvation shell is a shell of any chemical species acting as a solvent, surrounding a solute species. When the solvent is water it is often referred to as a hydration shell or hydration sphere.
A classic example is water molecules solvating a metal ion. The electronegative oxygen atom contained in the water molecule attracts electrostatically to the positive charge on the metal ion. The result is a 'solvation shell' of water molecules surrounding the ion. This shell can be several molecules thick, dependent on the charge of the ion.
Read more about Solvation Shell: Hydration Shells of Proteins
Famous quotes containing the word shell:
“There are no small number of people in this world who, solitary by nature,
always try to go back into their shell like a hermit crab or a snail.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)