Final answer:
Facilitated diffusion can result in passive transport occurring at rates faster than predicted by Fick's law, due to the involvement of specific transmembrane proteins that increase solute transport efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
Can passive transport occur faster than predicted by Fick's law? The answer extends beyond the purview of Fick's law when considering facilitated diffusion. This process, akin to passive diffusion, does not require energy and moves molecules from a higher to a lower concentration. However, facilitated diffusion involves specific transmembrane proteins that can increase the rate of solute passage beyond what simple diffusion allows. Saturation kinetics, reminiscent of enzyme catalysis, ensure that as more transport proteins are available, the rate of transport can reach a maximum, which can surpass the rates of simple passive diffusion predicted by Fick's law.
For substances that are not easily permeable through the membrane, such as polar molecules or ions, facilitated transport is essential. Integral membrane proteins create channels or carry molecules across the membrane in a process that can be much faster than passive diffusion. An example is glucose transportation into cells by glucose transporters. These transmembrane proteins are essential for the rapid movement of molecules vital to biological functions, and their activity shows that the rates of passive transport can indeed exceed expectations of Fick's law in specific scenarios.