What is equilibrium in biology mean?
noun, plural: equilibriums or equilibria. (1) The condition in which all acting influences are balanced or canceled by equal opposing forces, resulting in a stable system. (2) The state of balance or static; the absence of net tendency to change.
What is equilibrium in cell transport?
Equilibrium. A state where the concentration of substances are the same over a membrane. Concentration. gradient.
What causes equilibrium in cells?
By diffusion of water or solutes, osmotic balance ensures that optimal concentrations of electrolytes and non-electrolytes are maintained in cells, body tissues, and in interstitial fluid. Solutes or water move across a semi-permeable membrane, causing solutions on either side of it to equalize in concentration.
Why is equilibrium in cells important?
If a living organism does not respond to external or internal changes in conditions, it may die. Homeostasis is a dynamic equilibrium between an organism and its environment. The organism must detect and respond to stimuli. Failure to respond may result in disease or death.
Are cells at equilibrium?
The chemical reactions of metabolism are reversible, and they, too, would reach equilibrium if they occurred in the isolation of a test tube. Because systems at equilibrium are at a minimum of G and can do no work, a cell that has reached metabolic equilibrium is dead. A cell in our body is not in equilibrium.
What is equilibrium in the body?
equilibrium, state of balance. When a body or a system is in equilibrium, there is no net tendency to change. In mechanics, equilibrium has to do with the forces acting on a body. The stability of a body is a measure of its ability to return to a position of equilibrium after being disturbed.
What is equilibrium and example?
Equilibrium is defined as a state of balance or a stable situation where opposing forces cancel each other out and where no changes are occurring. An example of equilibrium is when hot air and cold air are entering the room at the same time so that the overall temperature of the room does not change at all.
What is diffusion in cells?
Molecules can move into or out of cells by the process of diffusion . Diffusion is the net movement of molecules from an area where they are at a higher concentration to areas where they are at a lower concentration. This is due to the random movement of the molecules.
Why is equilibrium bad for cells?
Because systems at equilibrium are at a minimum of G and can do no work, a cell that has reached metabolic equilibrium is dead. The constant flow of materials in and out of the cell keeps the metabolic pathways from ever reaching equilibrium, and the cell continues to do work throughout its life.