3.1.2

Factors Affecting Diffusion

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Factors Affecting Diffusion

The rate of diffusion can speed up or slow down based on the following factors:

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Concentration gradient

  • The concentration gradient is linked to the difference in concentration between two areas.
  • The bigger the difference in concentration between two areas, the greater the concentration gradient and the faster the rate of diffusion.
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Temperature

  • The higher the temperature, the faster the rate of diffusion.
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Membrane surface area

  • The larger the surface area of the membrane that a substance is diffusing through (e.g. the membrane around a cell), the faster the rate of diffusion.
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Distance

  • The greater the distance a substance has to diffuse across, the more time taken.
  • For example, a thicker membrane creates a larger distance, so diffusion across it will take longer.

Jump to other topics

1Classification of Living Organisms

2Organisation of the Organism

3Movement Into & Out of Cells

4Biological Molecules

5Enzymes

6Plant Nutrition

7Human Nutrition

8Transport in Plants

9Transport in Animals

10Diseases & Immunity

11Gas Exchange in Humans

12Respiration

13Excretion in Humans

14Coordination & Response

15Drugs

16Reproduction

17Inheritance

18Variation & Selection

19Organisms & Their Environment

20Human Influence on Ecosystems

21Biotechnology & Genetic Modification

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