Spatial curvature effects on molecular transport by diffusion.
For a substance diffusing on a curved surface, we obtain an explicit relation valid for very small values of the time, between the local concentration, the diffusion coefficient, the intrinsic spatial curvature, and the time. We recover the known solution of Fick's law of diffusion in the flat space limit. In the biological context, this result would be useful in understanding the variations in the diffusion rates of integral proteins and other molecules on membranes.
Balakrishnan
J
J
Department of High Voltage Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India. janaki@serc.iisc.ernet.in
D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004058:Diffusion; D008954:Models, Biological; D013499:Surface Properties