MOVEMENT OF

SUBSTANCES ACROSS
THE PLASMA MEMBRANE
The structure of the
plasma membrane
 Plasma membrane is a structure of
a cell that composed of phospolipids
and proteins

Phospholipid
Bilayer
 The Phospholipids consist of :
- hydrophobic – non polar fatty acid
tails
- hydrophilic – polar head that
attracted to water
- hydrophobic – non polar fatty acid
tails
- hydrophilic – polar head that
attracted to water
 The phospholipid layer is a fluid struture
and not static
 The protein and other components are also
dynamic and fluid structure
Phospholipid
Bilayer
Carrier
protein Pore
protei
n
 Phospholipids layer are arranged in
double layer called phospholipids
bilayer
The permeability of the plasma
membrane
 Plasma membrane is semi
permeable
 Its only allow specific substances to
move through it
 The organelles inside the cells also
have membranes that are semi
permeable
The plasma membrane has selective
permeability because of two factors
Selective layer of the phospholipids
The types of transport proteins
The size and polarity of molecules
that pass through the plasma
membrane also caused the selective
characteristics of the membrane
 Movement of
substances across
Plasma membrane

Phospholipid Pore Carrier

bilayer protein protein
 Molecules that diffuse across the
plasma membrane through simple
diffusion

 Examples :
- lipid soluble molecules
( glycerol, steroids compunds, vit.
A,D,E,K)fatty acids)
 glycerol, steroids
compunds, vit. A,D,E,K)fatty
acids)
- these molecules dissolves in the lipid
bilayer and move across the plasma
membrane
2.molecules with small size and
uncharged
example :
- O2, CO2
- move freely through the layer
O2, CO2
3. water – has small size that enable
it to pass through the layer
water
 Molecules that use transport
protein to move across the plasma
membrane

- molecules with large size and

unsoluble in water
- example : inorganic ions K+, Na+,

Ca2+, glucose, amino

acids
Carrier
protein
 Transport
protein

Pore Carrier
protein protein
 Movement of substances
across
plasma membrane

Carrier protein
Passive
transport Active transport

Pore protein &

carrier protein

Simple
osmosis Facilitated
diffusion
diffusion
ipid soluble molecules
water
glycerol, steroids  small molecules and ion
compunds,  Example : Na+, Ca2+, K+
vit. A,D,E,K, fatty acids)
 Facilitated
diffusion

Carrier
Pore protein
protein

small dissolved particles

Glucose, small protein,
- ion amino acids
Example : Na+ Ca2+ K+
Molecules that use pore protein and
facilitated diffusion to pass through
the plasma membrane
- small molecules and ion
- Example : Na+, Ca2+, K+
- carrier protein
- have sites that attach with

large molecules – glucose

- change its shape before
transporting
- involve in active transport
- active transport
- transport molecules against
concentration gradient
– needed cellular energy or ATP
Active Simple diffusion of lipid
transport of soluble molecules (fatty
certain Carrier acids, glycerol, steroid
molecules or protein compounds, vitamen
Pore
ions A,D,E,K
protei
n

Facilitated diffusion
of large, water Facilitated diffusion of
soluble molecules small inorganic ions
(glucose, amino (Na, K, Ca) and
acids ) osmosis of water
 Passive transport –
-Substances move according to
their concentration gradients
- do not use energy
Simple diffusion

 The movement of molecules/ions

from a region of high concentration
to a region of lower concentration
 Does not need energy
 The process continue until
equilibrium is achieved
 Molecules that moves through simple
diffusion:
1. small molecules – water
2. dissolved gas – O2, CO2
3.lipid soluble molecules – vit. A, D, E,
K
Osmosis

 The net movement of water through

a semi permeable membrane
molecules from a region of low
solute concentration to a region
of high solute concentration
 The pores and phospholipids in the
plasma membrane allows the
movement of water molecules
through osmosis
 Solute
Molecu
les

Net
movemen
t
Of water
Facilitated diffusion

 The movement of molecules across

the plasma membrane with the
help of carrier protein and pore
protein
 Do not use energy
 The transport protein have binding
site
 Each transport protein is specific
with specific type of molecules
 The binding site will combine with
specific molecules and then
transport the molecules across the
plasma membrane
 Eg. Glucose molecules + specific
carrier protein
 Pore protein – always open
- have specific shapes and charges
that allows sepcific ion to pass
through
- small water soluble molecules and
specific ion
- Example : Na+ Ca2+ K+
Movement of substances
using carrier protein
 Specific molecules moves to the
binding site of specific carrier
protein
 Molecules binds to a specific site on
carrier protein
 The shape of the carrier protein
changes when its transport the
molecules across the plasma
membrane
 Then the carrier protein changes to
its original shape
Molecules moves toward
the binding site of specific
carrier protein
Molecules binds to a
specific site on carrier
protein
Carrier protein changes its
shape to transport molecules
Carrier protein assumes its
original shape
Active transport

 The movements of molecules and

small ions against their
concentration gradient
 Molecules move from lower
concentration region to higher
concentration
The concentration of
sodium ions is higher
on the outside of the
cell
Sodium ions approach
Carrier protein binds the sodium ions.
ATP molecule is split into ADP
Phosphate group attaches to the carrier
protein
Splitting of ATP releases energy
Energy from ATP changes
shape of the carrier protein
Carrier protein release the
sodium ions outside the cell
 Carrier protein and ATP are needed
in active transport
 Carrier protein action is like a pump
 Eg. Animal – sodium-potassium pump
 The sodium concentration is higher
on the outside cell than inside the
cell
 Sodium ions moves near the carrier
protein
 The sodium ion binds to the
specific carrier protein
 ATP molecule is split into ADP
and release energy
 Phosphate group attaches to the
carrier protein
 Carrier protein changes shape when
its get energy
 Carrier protein move the sodium
ions across the plasma membrane
to the outer part of the cell
l
The effects of hypotonic, hypertonic and
isotonic solutions

 Hypertonic solution – the solution

with higher solute concentration
 Hypotonic solution – the solution
with a lower solute concentration
 Isotonic solution – solution in which
the concentrations of solutes equals
Animals and plants cells
in an isotonic solution
 Cytoplasm of animal cells contains
substances such as water solutes
and minerals
 For plants these substances can be
stored in vacuole
The osmosis process occurred
between the cells and the fluid that
surrounding the cells
 What happened when animal cell
and plant cell is placed in a beaker
with isotonic salt solution
- the concentration of the cell sap is
the same as the salt solution
 water molecules moves into the cell
and out of the cell through osmosis
 The rate of water movement into and
out of the cell is the same
 water molecules moves into the cell
 and out of the cell through osmosis

The rate of water movement into

and out of the cell is the same
Animal and plant cells in
a hypotonic solution
 Hypotonic solution is a solution that
contains higher concentration of
water but lower solute
concentration
 When red blood cells are immersed
in hypotonic solution
- Water diffuses into the cells by
osmosis
- The cell expand and then it will
burst –
- the bursting of blood cells is called
haemolysis
 -
 the plasma membrane cannot
withstand high osmotic pressure
 When plant cells are immersed in a
hypotonic solution
- Water diffuses into the vacuoles by
osmosis
- The cell sap is more concentrated
then the concentration of solution
outside the cell
-
the vacuole expand and swells up
- the osmotic pressure press the
vacuole and cytoplasm outward to
the plasma membrane and cell wall
-
- The cell becomes turgid
- The plant cell does not burst
because it has a strong cell wall
-
 The turgidity of the cell produce
turgor pressure that give support to
the plants
Animal and plant cells in
a hypertonic solution
 Hypertonic solution consist of a
high concentration of solutes than
the cell
 Red blood cells immersed in
hypertonic solution
- water moves out of the cells by
osmosis
- The solution outside the cell is more
concentrated
- the cells becomes shrivel and the
plasma membrane crinkles up
because of the loss of water
 Plant cell immersed in hypertonic
solution :
- water diffuse out from the vacuole
- Vacuole and cytoplasm shrink with
the loss of water
- Plasma membrane pulls away from
the cell wall
– this condition called plasmolysis
- The plant cell turn flaccid and loss
its turgidity
 - the plant cell is immersed again in
hypotonic solution
- Water move into the cell by osmosis
- Cell becomes turgid again
- the condition is called depalsmolysis

water
Osmosis -The effects and
applications of osmosis
1. Food preservation
- preservation of fruits, vegetables,
fish
- keep the food in hypertonic solutions
- salts solution, sugar solutions
- water moves out of the food by
osmosis
- dehydrated condition prevent the
growth of bacteria and fungi
2. Wilting in plants
- the use of excessive fertilisers on
plant
- water diffuses from the root's cell
sap into the soil by osmosis
The effects of isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic solutions
on the stems of non woody plants

Distilled water Sucrose Sucrose solution 30%

solution 17%

The strip become The length and The strip becomes

longer, thicker, turgid shape of the shorter, thinner and
and firm strip remain the softer
It curves outwards with same It curves inwards with
the epidermal layer on the epidermal layer on
the inside the outside
-Water enter the cells Water - Water leaves the
by osmosis enters and cells by osmosis
- epidermis is leaves the through the cut
waterproof protected cells at the surface. This cause
by cuticle the cells to
same rate
become flacid
-The strip curves
outwards with the - The strip curves
eidermal layer facing inwards with the
inwards epidermal layer on
the outside