Properties of interfaces and transport across them

Much of the biological activity in cell cytoplasm occurs in compartments some of which may be formed, as suggested in this book, by phase separation, and many of the functions of such compartments depend on the transport or exchange of molecules across interfaces. Thus a fundamentally based discussion of the properties of phases, interfaces, and diffusive transport across interfaces has been given to further elucidate these phenomena. An operational criterion for the width of interfaces is given in terms of molecular and physical arguments, and the properties of molecules inside phases and interfaces are discussed in terms of molecular arguments. In general, the properties of the interface become important when the molecules diffusing across are smaller than the width of the interface. Equilibrium partitioning, Donnan phenomena, and electrochemical potentials at interfaces are also discussed in detail. The mathematical expressions for modeling transport across interfaces are discussed in detail. These describe a practical and detailed model for transport across interfaces. For molecules smaller than the width of the interface, this includes a detailed model for diffusion inside the interface. Last, the question of the time scale for phase formation and equilibration in biological systems is discussed.