section_path: Mechanical properties/Viscosity
section_name: Viscosity
paragraph_text: Viscosity
  
  In addition to serving as enzymes within the cell, globular proteins often act as key transport molecules. For instance, Serum Albumins, a key component of blood, are necessary for the transport of a multitude of small molecules throughout the body. Because of this, the concentration dependent behavior of these proteins in solution is directly tied to the function of the circulatory system. On way of quantifying this behavior is through the viscosity of the solution.
  
  Viscosity, η, is generally given is a measure of a fluid's resistance to deformation. It can be calculated as the ratio between the applied stress and the rate of change of the resulting shear strain, that is, the rate of deformation. Viscosity of complex liquid mixtures, such as blood, often depends strongly on temperature and solute concentration. For serum albumin, specifically bovine serum albumin, the following relation between viscosity and temperature and concentration can be used.
  
  η = exp {\displaystyle \eta =\exp \left}
  
  Where c is the concentration, T is the temperature, R is the gas constant, and α, β, B, D, and Δ E are all material-based property constants. This equation has the form of an Arrhenius equation, assigning viscosity an exponential dependence on temperature and concentration.