Biophysics For Dummies

Chapter 11

Breaking through to the Other Side — Transport, Membranes, and Porous Material

In This Chapter

Failing to contain the fluid

Sneaking through the membrane

Eating too much and metabolism

Eliminating the excess

The ability of living organisms to absorb materials through membranes and transport it to cells is an important area of biophysics. This ability allows organisms to absorb materials and use the energy to continue living. Have you every wondered how your body uses food for energy to keep your body functioning? Or how fast a drug is eliminated from your body? This chapter answers these questions and more.

Here I take a closer look at diffusion, specifically focusing on the flow of fluids through other materials, such as other fluids, animals, plants, and porous materials. This chapter describes Fick’s law on how fluids flow through materials, examines how the body absorbs food and metabolizes it into energy for the body, and deals with what goes in must come out and how fast it leaves.

Examining the Ins and Outs of Diffusion

Diffusion is the process of particulates, ...