Medical Definition of Facilitated diffusion
1.
A process by which substances are conveyed across cell membranes faster than would be possible by diffusion alone.
This is generally achieved by proteins that provide a hydrophilic environment for polar molecules throughout their passage through the plasma membrane, acting as either shuttles or pores.
See: symport, antiport, uniport.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Facilitated Diffusion
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