Examining Single Molecules in An Effort to Analyze Subdiffusion in Living Cells

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dc.contributor.authorRichards, David
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-18T18:50:15Z
dc.date.available2014-09-18T18:50:15Z
dc.date.issued2014-09-18
dc.description.abstractBrownian motion is named after Scottish botanist Robert Brown, who observed the motion of particles in a fluid in the 1820s. In the first years of the 20th century, Einstein developed a random-walk theory about the thermal energy induced motion of a liquid’s particles causing a relatively small number of particles suspended in the liquid to be moved in the process of diffusion, and it was soon accepted that this motion was what Brown had observed. Based on the then-current view of the cell as a membrane containing particles in a fluid, it was expected that molecules within a living cell would move according to Einstein’s theory. However, recent experiments have revealed that the diffusion of molecules within living cells occurs slower than Brownian motion would predict. This is not surprising, given the modern understanding of the cell as a diverse environment filled with many particles and structures. Scientists are currently conducting experiments to see if other mathematical models can describe the motion of such particles accurately.
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.houghton.edu/handle/hc/3735
dc.publisherHoughton College
dc.rightsAuthors retain the copyright for all content posted in this repository. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed beyond the Houghton College community without permission except in accordance with fair use doctrine.
dc.subjectStudent Projects
dc.titleExamining Single Molecules in An Effort to Analyze Subdiffusion in Living Cells
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