What are the factors affecting the rateof diffusion?
Diffusionis the passive movement of substances from a region of higherconcentration to a region of lower concentration. Diffusion ofsubstances plays an important role in cellular transport in plants.Rate of diffusion is affected by concentration gradient, membranepermeability, temperature, and pressure. Diffusion takes place aslong as there is a difference between the concentrations of asubstance across a barrier. However, diffusion stops, when theconcentrations of the substance on either side of the barrier becomeequal. The permeability of a membrane affects the rate of diffusion.Diffusion rate increases as membrane permeability increases. Changesin temperature and pressure values also affect the diffusion ofsubstances. Pressure plays an important role in the diffusion ofgases as gases diffuse from a region of higher partial pressure to aregion of lower partial pressure.