Glucose diffuses across a thin epithelial layer of thickness

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Biophysics & Medical Physics · Physical foundations of the living cell · Physical foundations of the living cell

Life at Thermal Energy, Ch Random walks, diffusion and the crowded cell

Problem

Glucose diffuses across a thin epithelial layer of thickness 5.0 μm5.0\,\mathrm{\mu m}. The concentration is 5.0 mM5.0\,\mathrm{mM} on one side and 1.0 mM1.0\,\mathrm{mM} on the other, and the concentration profile across the layer is linear. The diffusion coefficient of glucose in the tissue is D=6.7×10−10 m2 s−1D = 6.7\times10^{-10}\,\mathrm{m^2\,s^{-1}}. Use Fick's first law to calculate the flux of glucose across the layer, stating what the flux is per.

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