What is the difference between a cation and anion?

he uptake of drugs from the intestine is often strongly influenced by diffusion. for example, consider a water-insoluble steroid for treating inflammation that is solubilized in aggregates of detergent molecules, called micelles. these micelles, aggregates of 80 soap molecules, have a molecular weight of 24,000, a diameter of 2.6 nm, and a charge of -27. the positively charge ions (counterions) in this system are na".