Team:Paris Bettencourt/Modeling/Assisted diffusion

From 2011.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)
(Introduction to the model)
(General physical concepts and Hypothesis)
Line 13: Line 13:
== General physical concepts and Hypothesis ==
== General physical concepts and Hypothesis ==
 +
 +
 +
=== Starting from an analogy ===
 +
 +
Immagine two bottles of gaz connected by a tube. The fist one have an higher pressure than the second one. In the first one, diluted in the gaz, there are a few molecules of another nature, we follow the destiny.
 +
 +
When you open the tape, the bottle with a higher pressure will equillibrate with the other one my moving a certain quantity of it's molecules through the tube in the direction of the second bottle. These moving molecules will drag with them the copoment diluted in the gaz and a few of these molecules will be transported to the other bottle.
 +
 +
=== Equivalency with the cell membrane ===
== Calculating the membrane tension ==
== Calculating the membrane tension ==
== Back to the classical physics ==
== Back to the classical physics ==

Revision as of 08:28, 1 September 2011

Team IGEM Paris 2011

Contents

Introduction to the model

The diffusion through the nanotubes is a fast process. This speed can be partially explained by the passive diffusion through the tubes. But what if it is faster? The article from Dubey and Ben-Yehuda suggests that the diffusion is an active process. Several points can be opposed to this statement:

  • First, the diffusion is happening with molecule of different natures, that have nothing to do with the natural compoments of a cell
  • Unlike the mamalian cells, the tube seems to have no "railroad" design for such a transport

The question is: can we immagine a process that is faster than passive diffusion but does not rely on specific interractions?

The answer is probably yes, and in this page we propose a new model, really challenging for the mind, but that can play a role in the diffussion process

General physical concepts and Hypothesis

Starting from an analogy

Immagine two bottles of gaz connected by a tube. The fist one have an higher pressure than the second one. In the first one, diluted in the gaz, there are a few molecules of another nature, we follow the destiny.

When you open the tape, the bottle with a higher pressure will equillibrate with the other one my moving a certain quantity of it's molecules through the tube in the direction of the second bottle. These moving molecules will drag with them the copoment diluted in the gaz and a few of these molecules will be transported to the other bottle.

Equivalency with the cell membrane

Calculating the membrane tension

Back to the classical physics