Diffusion in Biological

System
PRESENTED BY MR. TAHIR ALI
Diffusion

 “Diffusion is the movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a

region of lower concentration down the concentration gradient.”
 The difference between high and low concentration is termed as concentration gradient
 Diffusion helps in the movement of substances in and out of the cells
 The molecules move from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration until the concentration becomes equal throughout
Diffusion

Types of Diffusion:
 Diffusion can be classified into two main types: Simple diffusion and facilitated
diffusion
Simple diffusion:
 A process in which the substance moves through a semipermeable membrane or in a
solution without any help from transport proteins
 For example, bacteria deliver small nutrients, water and oxygen into the cytoplasm
through simple diffusion
Facilitated diffusion:
 Facilitated diffusion is a passive movement of molecules across the cell membrane from
the region of higher concentration to the region of lower concentration by means of a
Diffusion
Active Diffusion

 Active transport (active diffusion) is a type of diffusion that consumes

energy to transport molecules across a membrane from a lower
concentration to higher concentration against the concentration gradient.
 It differs from passive diffusion since it occurs against the concentration
gradient and the need for energy
 Factors affecting Diffusion

There are a few factors that affect the process of diffusion, which individually and
collectively alters the rate and extent of diffusion. These factors include:
 Temperature- As the temperature increases, the movement of the molecules increases
due to an increase in energy.
 Concentration- The movement of the molecules takes place from the region of higher
concentration to lower concentration.
 Diffusion Distance- The diffusion rate is faster through smaller distance than through
the larger distance. For eg., gas diffuses much faster through a thin wall than through a
thick wall.
 Size of the molecules- The smaller molecules are lighter and hence diffuse faster than
the larger molecules.
Laws of Diffusion

Fick’s law of diffusion

 Fick’s law of diffusion explains the diffusion process (movement of
molecules from higher concentration to lower concentration region).
 In 1855, Adolf Fick described the Fick’s Law of Diffusion.
 A diffusion process that obeys Fick’s laws is called normal diffusion or
Fickian diffusion.
 A diffusion process that does NOT obey Fick’s laws is known as Anomalous
diffusion or non-Fickian diffusion.
Fick’s law of diffusion

 The rate of diffusion of a substance is directly proportional to the concentration gradient

of that substance. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

J = -D * (∂C/∂x)
Where:
 J is the rate of diffusion (amount of substance moving per unit time),
 D is the diffusion coefficient (a measure of how easily a substance can diffuse through a
particular medium),
 ∂C/∂x represents the concentration gradient of the substance with respect to distance (x).
 The negative sign indicates that diffusion occurs from higher concentration to lower
concentration.
Fick’s law of diffusion
Problem:

A glass tube of length 10 cm contains air. At one end of the tube, the concentration of oxygen is 0.1 mol/L, and at the
other end, it is 0.02 mol/L. The diffusion coefficient of oxygen in air is 0.2 cm²/s. Calculate the rate of diffusion of oxygen
through the tube.
Solution: Given: Length of the tube (x): 10 cm Concentration of oxygen at one end (C₁): 0.1 mol/L
Concentration of oxygen at the other end (C₂): 0.02 mol/L Diffusion coefficient (D): 0.2 cm²/s
To find: Rate of diffusion (J)
We can use Fick's first law of diffusion:
J = -D * (∂C/∂x)
First, we calculate the concentration gradient (∂C/∂x):
∂C/∂x = (C₂ - C₁) / x = (0.02 mol/L - 0.1 mol/L) / 10 cm = -0.008 mol/(L·cm)
Substituting the values into the formula:
J = -D * (∂C/∂x) = -0.2 cm²/s * (-0.008 mol/(L·cm)) = 0.0016 mol/(L·s)
Problem:

A cell membrane has a thickness of 10 nm and a concentration gradient of

glucose across the membrane. The concentration of glucose outside the cell is
0.8 mol/L, while inside the cell, it is 0.2 mol/L. The diffusion coefficient of
glucose in the membrane is 1.2 x 10^−5 cm²/s. Calculate the rate of glucose
diffusion across the cell membrane.
Solution:
Given:
Thickness of the cell membrane (x): 10 nm = 1 x 10^−6 cm
Concentration of glucose outside the cell (C₁): 0.8 mol/L
Concentration of glucose inside the cell (C₂): 0.2 mol/L
Diffusion coefficient (D): 1.2 x 10^−5 cm²/s
To find:
Rate of glucose diffusion (J)

We'll begin by calculating the concentration gradient (∂C/∂x):

∂C/∂x = (C₂ - C₁ ) / x
= (0.2 mol/L - 0.8 mol/L) / (1 x 10^−6 cm)
= -6 x 10^5 mol/(L·cm)
Next, we substitute the values into Fick's first law of diffusion:
J = -D * (∂C/∂x)
= -1.2 x 10^−5 cm²/s * (-6 x 10^5 mol/(L·cm))
= 7.2 x 10^−1 mol/(L·s)
Therefore, the rate of glucose diffusion across the cell membrane is 7.2 x 10^−1 mol/(L·s).