Concentration
The amount of a substance per unit volume. Concentration gradients—differences in concentration across space—drive many biological processes including diffusion, osmosis, and nerve signals.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 34 chapters:
"...e bouncer's toolkit: Channel proteins form tunnels that allow specific molecules to pass through. They're passive - things flow through based on concentration gradients. Pump proteins actively transport molecules against concentration gradients, using energy (ATP - the cellular 'battery' that powers al..."
"Can't survive 80% revenue drop. Q6: Fat Reserves - Zero cash reserves beyond 6-month runway. One customer = 40% revenue (fatal concentration). No revenue diversity. Critical vulnerability. Q7: Flexibility Score - Revenue (2), Talent (3), Product (4), Customer segments (2), Cost st..."
"...owth plates in bones, meristems in plants, stem cell niches in organs. Cancer cells grow everywhere. Every tumor is diffuse, uncoordinated growth. No concentration, no specialization, just expansion in all directions simultaneously. Rule 2: When to grow. Healthy cells respond to signals."
"...es better real-time decisions than most Fortune 500 companies. :::share{variant="blue" label="Feedback Loops Matter"} E. coli detects a 1% change in concentration across its 2-micrometer body and adjusts within milliseconds. Kodak invented digital photography in 1975, watched it capture 90% of the market, and s..."
"...h flower auction controls 50%+ of global wholesale flower trade despite Netherlands being a small country (17M people). Why? 1. Infrastructure concentration: Centralizing auction, cold storage, and logistics in one location creates efficiencies no distributed system matches. 2."
And 29 more chapters...
Biological Context
Cells maintain specific internal concentrations different from their environment. Concentration gradients store energy that can do work. Signal molecules work at specific concentrations—too little produces no effect; too much can be toxic.
Business Application
Market concentration: how resources, customers, or competitors are distributed. High concentration means few dominant players; low concentration means fragmented markets. Concentration gradients in business create flows—talent, capital, and customers move down concentration gradients.