Permeability of Molecules
Author(s): Lou Gross1, Monica Beals1, Susan Harrell1
University of Tennessee Knoxville
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Description
This activity maps to the OpenStax biology textbook, 5.2 Passive Transport
Student Introduction: In the late 1800's, E. Overton discovered that substances that dissolve in lipids pass more easily into the cell than those that dissolve in water. This was some of the first evidence that cells were surrounded by a lipid membrane. The phospholipid membrane of cells can greatly modify the permeation of molecules into a cell. The membrane acts as a barrier to passive diffusion of water-soluble molecules. However, substances that dissolve in lipids pass more easily into the cell. The correlation between permeability and solubility in lipidly is appropriately named Overton's Rule.
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
- Gross, L., Beals, M., Harrell, S. (2018). Permeability of Molecules. Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges, QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/Q4JT77