Cell Membranes

Osmosis and Diffusion

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 Functions of Membranes
1. Protect cell
2. Control incoming and outgoing substances
3. Maintain ion concentrations of various
substances
4. Selectively permeable - allows some
molecules in, others are kept out
5. ALL THIS MAINTAINS HOMEOSTASIS
(internal balance)
Phospholipid Bilayer
Fluid Mosaic Model
 Methods of Transport Across
Membranes
1. Diffusion

2. Osmosis

3. Facilitated Diffusion

4. Active Transport
 Polar heads Fluid Mosaic
love water Model of the
& dissolve. cell membrane

Non-polar
tails hide
from water.
Carbohydrate cell
markers

Proteins
 •Animations of Active
Types of Cellular Transport Transport & Passive
Transport
Weeee!!
• Passive Transport !

cell doesn’t use energy

1. Diffusion high
2. Facilitated Diffusion
3. Osmosis low

• Active Transport This is

gonna
cell does use energy be hard
1. Protein Pumps work!!
high

2. Endocytosis
3. Exocytosis low
 Diffusion
• Movement of molecules from an area of
high concentration to an area of low
concentration.

• Movement from one side of a membrane

to another, un-facilitated
Diffusion
 Passive Transport: Simple Diffusion
Animation
Diffusion
Diffusion: random movement of
particles from an area of high
concentration to an area of low
concentration.
(High to Low)
• Diffusion continues until all
molecules are evenly spaced
(equilibrium is reached)-Note:
molecules will still move around but
stay spread out.
http://bio.winona.edu/berg/Free.htm
 Passive Transport: Osmosis
Osmosis animation

• Osmosis: diffusion of
water through a
selectively permeable
membrane
• Water moves from high to
low concentrations
•Water moves freely
through pores.
•Solute (green) too
large to move across.
Osmosis
 Osmosis
Water Potential

The water potential of a solution

is a measure of the tendency of
water molecules to move from one
place to another
A dilute solution has a
higher water potential than
a concentrated solution
The difference in water potential
between two solutions is known
as the water potential gradient
 Osmosis

In plant cells, the cell sap contains

dissolved salts and sugar. If the cell sap
has a lower water potential than that of
the surrounding fluids, water from the
outside enters by osmosis.

Turgor – A state when Turgor pressure –

a cell is firm or turgid due
to water entering the cell,
causing it to swell.
The outward pressure
which the cell sap
exerts against the
inside wall of
the cell
 Importance of Turgor in Plants
• Changes in turgor of the guard cell causes the opening of the
stomata
 Turgor (II)
• Changes in turgor of the pulvinus (small swelling at the base of the
leaflets) causes the folding of leaflets in the Mimosa
 Osmosis
cell sap more concentrated
than outside solution Turgid cells. The
water enters by cytoplasm is pressed
osmosis against the cell wall. The
cell swells up and is
prevented from bursting
by the cellulose cell wall.

cellulose plasma cell sap less concentrated

cell wall membrane than outside solution

water
Plasmolysed cells. leaves by
Water is lost from osmosis

its vacuole, the

cytoplasm shrinks
and is withdrawn
from the cell wall. cytoplasm
Plasmolysis leads to wilting
 Fertilizer - Good or Bad?

• Too much fertilizer added will cause the

plant to wilt
• Soil solution becomes very concentrated
• Water moves out of root
• Plant will wilt
• Sufficient water must be added to ensure
plant survival
 Tonicity is a relative term
• Hypotonic Solution - One solution has a
lower concentration of solute than
another.
• Hypertonic Solution - one solution has a
higher concentration of solute than
another.
• Isotonic Solution - both solutions have
same concentrations of solute.
Plant and Animal Cells put into
various solutions
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,
Hypotonic Solution hypertonic, and
hypotonic solutions

Hypotonic: The solution has a lower concentration of

solutes and a higher concentration of water than
inside the cell. (Low solute; High water)

Result: Water moves from the solution to inside the

cell): Cell Swells and bursts open (cytolysis)!
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,
Hypertonic Solution hypertonic, and
hypotonic solutions

Hypertonic: The solution has a higher concentration

of solutes and a lower concentration of water than
inside the cell. (High solute; Low water)

shrinks

Result: Water moves from inside the cell into the

solution: Cell shrinks (Plasmolysis)!
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,

Isotonic Solution hypertonic, and

hypotonic solutions

Isotonic: The concentration of solutes in the solution

is equal to the concentration of solutes inside the cell.

Result: Water moves equally in both directions and

the cell remains same size! (Dynamic Equilibrium)
Types of Transport
 Passive Transport:
Facilitated Diffusion A B
Facilitated diffusion: diffusion
of specific particles through
transport proteins found in
the membrane
a. Transport Proteins are
specific – they “select” only Facilitated Diffusion
certain molecules to cross diffusion (Lipid
the membrane (Channel Bilayer)
b. Transports larger or Protein)
charged molecules

Carrier Protein
 Passive Transport: Facilitated Diffusion
Glucose
molecules
Cellular Transport From a-
High
High Concentration
• Channel Proteins

Cell Membrane

Protein
Low Concentration channel
Low
Transport
Through a 
Go to
Protein
Section: