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A METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DIFFUSION CONSTANTS AND THE CALCULATION OF THE RADIUS AND WEIGHT OF THE HEMOGLOBIN
1Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, N. J.
Researchers determined the diffusion coefficient of carbon monoxide hemoglobin using a novel membrane passage method. This yielded a diffusion coefficient of 0.0420 cm²/day at 5°C, enabling molecular weight calculation.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Diffusion coefficients are crucial for understanding solute transport in biological and chemical systems.
- Accurate determination of these coefficients aids in characterizing molecules like hemoglobin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a method for determining solute diffusion coefficients.
- To apply this method to measure the diffusion coefficient of carbon monoxide hemoglobin.
- To calculate the molecular weight of carbon monoxide hemoglobin using the determined diffusion coefficient.
Main Methods:
- A method involving solute passage through a thin porous membrane between solutions of differing concentrations was employed.
- The rate of solute passage was measured to determine the diffusion coefficient.
- Einstein's equation was utilized to calculate molecular weight from the diffusion coefficient.
Main Results:
- The diffusion coefficient of carbon monoxide hemoglobin was determined to be 0.0420 ± 0.0005 cm²/day at 5°C.
- The molecular weight of carbon monoxide hemoglobin was calculated as 68,600 ± 1,000 using Einstein's equation.
Conclusions:
- The described method provides a reliable way to determine diffusion coefficients.
- The calculated diffusion coefficient and molecular weight for carbon monoxide hemoglobin are presented.
- This study contributes to the characterization of hemoglobin properties.
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