The introduction of thermodynamics in the theory of the microcirculation
Petrow, J.M.
Zeitschrift für die Gesamte Innere Medizin und ihre Grenzgebiete 46(17): 657-664
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-2542 PMID: 1776310 Document Number: 374243
By application of thermodynamics on the theory of microcirculation in tissues one must implicate the fact that both phenomena convection and diffusion through semipermeable membranes take place in "non opened" compartments. Based on this precondition the present paper shows that the known calculations by Kedem and Katchalsky and others are insufficient in order to describe the above mentioned processes and that the reflection coefficient delta is not relevant to the real movement of molecules through capillary walls. Furthermore, the basic equation of the microcirculation is to be improved by a diffusion component in order to represent a better approximation of the exchange situation in tissues.