Question:

Which law is used to study the rate of drug diffusion across a membrane?

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Diffusion is the movement of drug molecules from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Fick's Law
  • Noyes–Whitney equation
  • Michaelis–Menten equation
  • Henderson–Hasselbalch equation
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Concept:
Diffusion is the movement of drug molecules from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration. When a drug crosses a biological membrane mainly by passive diffusion, the speed of this movement can be described by a well-known physical law.

Step 1: Fick's Law of diffusion states that the rate of diffusion is proportional to the concentration gradient across the membrane, the surface area, and the permeability, and inversely related to the membrane thickness. This is exactly the situation when a drug diffuses across a membrane.

Step 2: The other options describe different things — Noyes–Whitney deals with dissolution rate, Michaelis–Menten with enzyme kinetics, and Henderson–Hasselbalch with pH and ionisation of acids/bases. None of these describes membrane diffusion rate.

Answer: Option (1) — Fick's Law is used to study the rate of drug diffusion across a membrane. (1)
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