Biophysical Properties – Lecture -4 Professor Dr.

Syed Irfan Raza

PhD Biochemistry

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:

• Define diffusion & Osmosis

• State Donnan Membrane Equilibrium & Application
• Surface Tension, Absorption & Adsorption
• Surface tension role in absorption and digestion
Diffusion

Movement of solute particles from a higher concentration to a

lower concentration.

• More Rapid in gases than in liquids.

• Smaller particles diffuse faster than the larger one
• Temperature is directly proportional to diffusion
• Diffusion takes place in true as well colloidal solution
Donnan Membrane Equilibrium – Gibbs Donnan
The Gibbs–Donnan theory describes the equilibrium conditions for
ion solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane when one of
the solutions contains species that cannot pass through the
membrane distorts the distribution of permeating ions on the two
sides of the membrane.

Factors
• Size
• charge
https://derangedphysiology.com/main/cicm-primary-exam/required- reading/cellular-physiology/Chapter%20121/gibbs-donnan-effect
Donnan Membrane Equilibrium – Application
1. Difference in the ionic concentration
of Biological fluids:

Due to higher Pr- content in plasma

lymph & interstitial fluid have lower
concentration of inorganic cationic (Na+
& K+) and higher concentration of Cl-.
1. Membrane Hydrolysis:
H+/OH- strength and acidic and alkaline nature on either side of a
membrane is influenced by the presence of non-diffusible ions.
Example. Greater concentration of H+ ions in gastric juice

2. Lower pH in RBCs:
Hemoglobin of RBC is negatively charged and this causes
accumulation of positively charged ions including H+ due to which
pH of RBC is slightly lower than 7.25 compared to plasma (7.4)
3. Osmotic imbalance:
Differential distribution of ions in different compartments of the
body – partly explains Osmotic pressure differences.

4. Dialysis in renal failure:

Basic principle involved in the artificial means of purifying blood by
dialysis
Biophysical Chemistry
Surface Tension

• Force with which the molecule on the surface are held together.
• Units: dynes/cm
• Surface tension α 1/ temperature
Biophysical Chemistry
Application:
1. Digestion & Absorption of fat
2. Surfactants & Lung function
3. Surface tension and absorption
4. Lipoprotein complex membranes
5. Hays sulfur test
1. Digestion & Absorption of fat -
Fat emulsification (through bile salts) helps digest fats into fatty acids and glycerol
that are easily absorbed by the small intestine.
Biophysical Chemistry
2. Surfactants & Lung function

Dipalmitoyl Lecithin
responsible for
maintaining low
surface tension in
alveoli.

Surfactants
deficiency causes
respiratory distress
syndrome in the
infants.
Biophysical Chemistry
3. Surface tension and absorption
Formation of Complexes of protein and
lipids is facilitated by these
phenomenon.

4. Lipoprotein complex membranes

Plasma membrane surface is composed of surface
tension reducing substances namely lipids and proteins.
This facilitates absorption of the compounds
Biophysical Chemistry
Adsorption
• A surface phenomenon
• Its dynamic & reversible
process which decreases
with rise in temperature

Application:
• Formation of enzyme substrate complex
• Adsorption in analytical biochemistry