In: Anatomy and Physiology
Explain the significance of Fick’s law as it applies to the simple squamous epithelium of the lungs. Incorporate all terms of the Fick’s Law equation.
Fick's Law
Fick's Law describes the relationship between the rate of diffusion and the three factors that affect diffusion. It states that 'the rate of diffusion is proportional to both the surface area and concentration difference and is inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane'.
Fick's law can be written as:
means 'is proportional to'.
The rate of diffusion will double if:
All of the exchange surfaces consist of cell membranes which are very thin. This explains why diffusion is very fast across membranes.
Fick's first law is also important in radiation transfer equations. However, in this context it becomes inaccurate when the diffusion constant is low and the radiation becomes limited by the speed of light rather than by the resistance of the material the radiation is flowing through.