For an organism to function, substances must move into and out of cells. Three processes contribute to this movement - diffusion, osmosis and active transport.
Particles - moleculeA collection of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. and ionElectrically charged particle, formed when an atom or molecule gains or loses electrons. - in a liquid and a gas move continuously. Because of this movement, particles will spread themselves evenly throughout a liquid or a gas.
If there is a situation where particles of a substance are in a higher concentration, they will therefore move from this region to where they are in a lower concentration. This is called diffusionThe movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration..
It is important to remember that the particles:
will move in both directions, but there will be a netThe overall effect of something when all additions and deductions are calculated. movement from high to low concentration
will end up evenly spread throughout the liquid or gas, but will continue to move
Some examples of diffusion in biological systems
Some substances move into and out of living cells by diffusion.