Diffusion

Diffusion

Introduction

Diffusion is a physical process leading to a uniform distribution of particles and thus to the complete mixing of two or more substances (Starr, 2010).

Facilitated Diffusion

Facilitated diffusion (or facilitated transport) is a mechanism of diffusion facilitated by membrane transporters. Facilitated diffusion is the spontaneous passage of molecules or ions through a membrane via transport molecules. This process does not consume energy and therefore falls outside the active transport (Linda, 2009).

Example

Some molecules are too large to diffuse through the membrane channels and too hydrophilic to diffuse through the layer of phospholipids and cholesterol. Such is the case of glucose and some other ...