Speculations On Physicochemical Fluid Properties In Physiological Regulation
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Rand Corporation
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The authors of this study examine the proposition that certain
physicochemical properties of biological fluids contribute to maintaining
the steady-state concentration gradients that occur in
physiological systems. In particular, simple electrostatic solution
theory is used to demonstrate that differences in ionic strength and
dielectric constants of fluids separated by simple membranes can
produce large concentration gradients for uncharged organic substances between the fluids. The magnitude of the gradients,
and whether they are greater or less than one, is shown to depend
on the electrostatic characteristics of the fluids and on the size
and signs of the dielectric increments of the substances.