188k views
4 votes
If a molecule crosses a membrane and is quickly removed from the area by the blood stream or some biological pathway, what effect does this have on its rate of diffusion?

A) Diffusion rate will remain constant.

B) Diffusion rate will not be affected.

C) Diffusion rate will increase.

D) Diffusion rate will decrease.

E) Diffusion rate will progressively decrease until zero

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

When a molecule is rapidly removed from an area after crossing a membrane, the diffusion rate will increase as the concentration gradient is maintained, promoting . The correct answer to the question is: C) Diffusion rate will increase.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question addresses the concept of diffusion, specifically how the rate of diffusion of a molecule across a membrane is affected when it is rapidly removed from the area by the bloodstream or other biological pathways. In the context of cellular biology, this question pertains to how substances move across cell membranes.

Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. The net rate of diffusion is directly proportional to the difference in concentration between two regions. When a molecule is quickly removed upon crossing a membrane, it maintains a high concentration gradient, as the concentration on the side it is removed from remains low.

Therefore, due to the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient as a result of rapid removal, the correct answer to the question is: C) Diffusion rate will increase. This is because as the molecule is removed, it perpetuates the concentration difference, encouraging continuous movement of molecules from the higher concentration side to the lower concentration side, thus increasing the rate of diffusion.

User NirmalGeo
by
8.5k points