B2.1 Flashcards
What is diffusion
Diffusion is the overall movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. They move down a concentration gradient.
- diffusion continues until the concentration of the particles are the same everywhere ( at this point the concentration gradient is 0)
Is energy transferred during diffusion?
No. It is a passive process
How do particles move?
Particles move constantly and randomly by diffusion
What key gases do we need to diffuse from our lungs to our blood stream?
Oxygen
What key nutrient do we need to diffuse from our blood stream to our muscle cells?
Glucose
Where do glucose and oxygen diffuse into?
The cells that need them (through the cell membrane)
Diffusion in your body?
Substances (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, dissolved nutrients and urea) can move into and out of a cell or organism via diffusion.
This happens across the cell membrane which is selectively permeable
What factors affect the rate of diffusion?
- surface area
- concentration gradient
- distance
- temp
How does distance affect the rate of reaction
- decrease the amount of distance the particles needs to move, it will take less time to travel as it is a shorter distance
- decreasing distance, increases the rate of reaction
EXAMPLE: blood capillaries are only one cell thick. This increases the rate of diffusion of gases into and out of the blood stream.
How does concentration gradient affect diffusion?
- increase concentration gardening -> increase rate of reaction
- the steeper the gradient, the greater the overall movement of particles
- The greater the difference in concentration, the quicker the rate of diffusion.
EXAMPLE: as plant cells use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, the carbon dioxide concentration inside the plant cells drops. This increases the diffusion rate of carbon dioxide into the cells.
How does surface area affect rate of diffusion?
- increasing the surface area allows more space for diffusion so more particles can move in one period of time
-The greater the surface area, the faster the rate of diffusion
EXAMPLE: the small intestine wall is highly folded, increasing the surface area that is in contact with the blood stream. This increases the rate of diffusion of molecules produced in digestion, such as glucose and amino acids.
How does temp affect the rate of diffusion
The higher the temperature, the more kinetic energy the particles will have, so they will move and mix more quickly.
- increases rare if diffusion
What is osmosis?
- Osmosis is a special type of diffusion. It is the diffusion of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane. It explains how water gets into and out of cells.
- movement of water from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration through a partially permeable membrane
Permeable meaning
Allows liquids or gases to go through it
What is water potential?
- water potential is the ability of water to leave its system.
- concentration of free water molecules