Question

3) The gut is lined with folds that are approximately 100 µm wide, while chyme (partially digested food), moves at a rate of about 2 cm/min. Assume glucose in the chime diffuses at 2x10-6 cm2 /s. What is the Peclet number? Is this a diffusive or convective dominant process? Check you units!

Answer 1

Given here are,

Thickness of gut lining = 100, that is 10^-2 cm (1= 10^-4 cm),

Speed of food = 2cm/min = cm/sec = cm/sec (1 min= 60sec)

Diffusion rate of glucose = 2 x 10^-6 cm²/ sec

As we know that Peclet number is the ratio of transfer of fluid to the diffusive rate through a suitable medium.

So the Peclet number = Rate of transport of fluid and thickness/ diffusion rate

So, according to question and putting the given values, we get,

that will be equal to, = = 166.67 Answer.