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Diffusion

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Diffusion is the passive movement of substances down their concentration gradients—requiring no expenditure of cellular energy. Substances, such as molecules or ions, diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration in the cytosol or across membranes. Eventually, the concentration will even out, with the substance moving randomly but causing no net change in concentration. Such a state is called dynamic equilibrium, which is essential for maintaining overall...

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Updated: Dec 9, 2025

Single-Molecule Tracking Microscopy - A Tool for Determining the Diffusive States of Cytosolic Molecules

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Published on: September 5, 2019

Complex Diffusion in Bacteria.

Christopher H Bohrer^1,2, Jie Xiao³

¹Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. cbohrer1@jhu.edu.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|September 7, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Molecular diffusion in bacteria is complex, not simple random motion. This study explores how molecule movement varies across bacterial compartments, influenced by factors like size and binding, and identifies research gaps.

Keywords:

Anomalous Diffusion Bacteria Cell envelope Charge Confinement Crowding Diffusion Glass Inner membrane Mean squared displacement Metabolism Outer membrane Periplasm.Single particle tracking Velocity autocorrelation function Viscoelastic

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Last Updated: Dec 9, 2025

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biophysics
Cell Biology

Background:

Bacterial diffusion is traditionally viewed as a simple random process.
Recent findings reveal a more complex reality of molecular movement within bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the complex nature of diffusion within bacterial cells.
To compare and contrast molecular diffusion across different bacterial compartments.
To identify factors influencing diffusion and areas for future research.

Main Methods:

Review of common methodologies for probing diffusion.
Analysis of models and theoretical frameworks for diffusion.
Discussion of experimental observations of diffusion in bacteria.

Main Results:

Diffusion in bacteria is highly complex and compartment-specific.
Factors such as metabolism, molecular size, crowding, charge, and binding significantly influence diffusion.
Distinct diffusive behaviors are observed in different cellular compartments.

Conclusions:

Bacterial diffusion is a multifaceted process critical for cellular function.
A unified understanding of diffusion across all bacterial compartments is needed.
Further research is required to fully characterize and predict diffusion dynamics.