Direkttransmission

Direkttransmission is a term used across disciplines to describe the transfer of something—such as energy, information, or infectious agents—directly from a source to a recipient without a substantial intermediary step or host. The exact meaning depends on the field and context.

In epidemiology and public health, direct transmission refers to the spread of an infectious agent through direct contact with an infected person or their secretions, such as touch or sexual contact, and through droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing over short distances. Indirect transmission involves intermediaries like contaminated objects (fomites), air currents over longer distances, or vectors such as insects.

In acoustics and room design, direct transmission denotes the direct sound path from source to listener, which arrives before reflected sounds. It is a key factor in clarity and intelligibility of speech and music, and it is considered alongside reverberation and reflections in evaluating room acoustics.

In communications engineering, a direct transmission channel implies that the signal travels along a direct path between transmitter and receiver, often line-of-sight. Real-world channels may still include multipath and attenuation, but the concept emphasizes the straightforward, unobstructed path that minimizes intermediate processing.

In mechanical and electrical systems, direct transmission describes the transfer of motion, force, or energy through direct contact or connection, without intermediate transducers or conversion stages.

Direkttransmission is not a single, universal concept; its precise interpretation varies by discipline, though it generally contrasts with indirect or mediated transfer through intermediaries.