Chemical Transport to the Cells

In most cases, CVD reactions are activated thermally, but in some cases, notably in exothermic chemical transport reactions, the substrate temperature is held below that of the feed material to obtain deposition. Other means of activation are available (7), eg, deposition at lower substrate temperatures is obtained by electric-discharge plasma activation. In some cases, unique materials are produced by plasma-assisted CVD (PACVD), such as amorphous siHcon from silane where 10—35 mol % hydrogen remains bonded in the soHd deposit. Except for the problem of large amounts of energy consumption in its formation, this material is of interest for thin-film solar cells. Passivating films of Si02 or Si02 Si N deposited by PACVD are of interest in the semiconductor industry (see Semiconductors). 

The membrane is the regulating barrier for exchange of chemical species between the environmental medium and cell interior. It may be practically impermeable to one type of species and highly permeable to another. In the chain of transport steps from the bulk of the medium to the cell interior, the membrane transfer step may thus vary from fully rate-limiting to apparently fast with respect to transport in the medium. The overall rate of this biouptake process is determined by mass transport either in the medium or through the membrane the actual rate-limiting step will depend on a large variety of factors. Membrane... 

In the biomedical literature (e.g. solute = enzyme, drug, etc.), values of kf and kr are often estimated from kinetic experiments that do not distinguish between diffusive transport in the external medium and chemical reaction effects. In that case, reaction kinetics are generally assumed to be rate-limiting with respect to mass transport. This assumption is typically confirmed by comparing the adsorption transient to maximum rates of diffusive flux to the cell surface. Values of kf and kr are then determined from the start of short-term experiments with either no (determination of kf) or a finite concentration (determination of kT) of initial surface bound solute [189]. If the rate constant for the reaction at the cell surface is near or equal to (cf. equation (16)), then... 

Internal structure of the tube worm Riftia pachyptila. (a) Oxygen, sulfide, and carbon dioxide are absorbed through the plume filaments and transported In the blood to the cells of the trophosome. (b) The chemicals are absorbed into these cells, which contain dense colonies of sulfur bacteria, where they are converted to organic compounds and (c) passed back into the circulatory system to act as an energy source for the worms. Source-. From Childress, J. J., et al. (1987). Scientific American, 256, 114-121. 

Chemicals may cross the cell membrane via membrane pores. This diffusion depends on the size of the pore and the size and weight of the chemical. The chemical flows through the membrane along with water. Finally, the membrane can actually engulf the chemical, form a small pouch called a vesicle, and transport it across the membrane to the inside of the cell. This process is called pinocytosis. 

Fig. 3.2. The individual steps of intercellular communication. Upon reception of a triggering stimulus, the signal is transformed into a chemical messenger within the signaling cell. The messenger is secreted and transported to the target cell, where the signal is registered, transmitted further, and finally converted into a biochemical reaction. Not shown are processes of termination or regulation of communication which can act at any of the above steps.

In voltammetric experiments, electroactive species in solution are transported to the surface of the electrodes where they undergo charge transfer processes. In the most simple of cases, electron-transfer processes behave reversibly, and diffusion in solution acts as a rate-determining step. However, in most cases, the voltammetric pattern becomes more complicated. The main reasons for causing deviations from reversible behavior include (i) a slow kinetics of interfacial electron transfer, (ii) the presence of parallel chemical reactions in the solution phase, (iii) and the occurrence of surface effects such as gas evolution and/or adsorption/desorption and/or formation/dissolution of solid deposits. Further, voltammetric curves can be distorted by uncompensated ohmic drops and capacitive effects in the cell [81-83]. 

The chemical is removed before it can properly reach the cytoplasm or important organelles. The substrates for this transporter are structurally diverse but tend to be organic, weakly basic (cationic), or uncharged hydrophobic or amphipathic substances. Thus, the chemical diffuses into the cell and is then pumped out. Substrates include anions conjugated with glutathione (GSH), glucuronic acid, and sulfate. 

Hexachlorobutadiene is a nephrotoxic industrial chemical, damaging the pars recta of the proximal tubule. Initial conjugation with GSH is necessary, followed by biliary secretion and catabolism resulting in a cysteine conjugate. The conjugate is reabsorbed and transported to the kidney where it can be concentrated and becomes a substrate for the enzyme p-lyase. This metabolizes it into a reactive thiol, which may react with proteins and other critical macro molecules with mitochondria as the ultimate target. The kidney is sensitive because the metabolite is concentrated by active uptake processes (e.g., OAT 1), which reabsorb the metabolite into the tubular cells. 

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