Question

8. What are the thermodynamic implications of compartmentalization?

Answer 1

The compartmentalized medium itself is a highly crowded environment within the cell. For instance, the total load of large biomacromolecules inside cells ranges between 5% and 40% (up to 400 grams per liter) of the cellular volume. This molecular crowding directly influences the properties of the encapsulated cargo, including conformations, diffusion, and transport characteristics of the molecules inside. Together, these factors influence kinetics and thermodynamics of a variety of physical and chemical processes within the cellular milieu (and sub-cellular organelles)