Molecular Function
facilitated diffusion
[ fuh-sil-i-tey-ted dih-fyoo-zhuhn ]
Subclass of:
Biological Transport; Diffusion
Definitions related to facilitated diffusion:
  • The passive movement of molecules exceeding the rate expected by simple diffusion. No energy is expended in the process. It is achieved by the introduction of passively diffusing molecules to an enviroment or path that is more favorable to the movement of those molecules. Examples of facilitated diffusion are passive transport of hydrophilic substances across a lipid membrane through hydrophilic pores that traverse the membrane, and the sliding of a DNA BINDING PROTEIN along a strand of DNA.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Transport of substances across a biological membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration by means of a carrier molecule.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.