Abstract
The basis of all motion in biology is diffusion. The movement may be as simple as the diffusion of a precursor from the point of formation to an enzyme that processes it; it may be as complex as the mechanism of Chemotaxis or muscle contraction. The movements of nutrients up to a cell or a collection of cells is probably the first thing that comes to mind when one considers bacterial ecosystems. Diffusion is also relevant to the movement of microorganisms and nutrients through slimes and gels in natural ecosystems. Of course, in microbiology there are practical applications of diffusion, such as the assay of antibiotic concentrations, in which diffusion, among other factors, controls the size of the zone of inhibition.
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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York
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Koch, A.L. (1990). Diffusion The Crucial Process in Many Aspects of the Biology of Bacteria. In: Marshall, K.C. (eds) Advances in Microbial Ecology. Advances in Microbial Ecology, vol 11. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7612-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7612-5_2
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