Faculty of dentistry

Active transport across the cell membrane

Dr/ Norhan Sobhy

By the end of this lecture the student will be able to:

1. Define active transport mechanism.
2. Differentiate between primary and secondary active transport.
3. Explain sodium potassium pump and list its importance.
4. Identify the different types of secondary active transport.
5. Explain and give examples of exocytosis and endocytosis.

Active transport:
Active transport is the movement of substances across the membrane in
combination with a carrier protein against a concentration gradient, an electrical or
pressure Gradient, uphill. It requires an additional source of energy derived from the
cell.
Active transport is divided into two types according to the source of the energy
used to cause the transport: primary active transport and secondary active
transport. In both instances, transport depends on carrier proteins that penetrate
through the cell membrane.
In active transport, the carrier protein functions differently from the carrier in
facilitated diffusion because it is capable of imparting energy to the transported
substance to move it against the electrochemical gradient.

1. Primary active transport:

In this type of transport, the energy is derived directly from breakdown of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or of some other high-energy phosphate compound.
The most important example of a primary active transport is the sodium-
potassium (Na+-K+) pump.

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➢ Sodium-Potassium Pump:

It is a transport process that pumps sodium ions outward through the cell
membrane of all cells and at the same time pumps potassium ions from the outside to
the inside against their concentration gradient.
In Na+-K+ pump, the carrier protein has ATPase activity. When two potassium
ions bind on the outside of the carrier protein and three sodium ions bind on the
inside, the ATPase function of the protein becomes activated. This then cleaves one
molecule of ATP, splitting it and liberating a high-energy phosphate bond. This energy
causes a conformational change in the carrier molecule and extruding the sodium ions
to the outside and potassium ions to the inside, fig (1).

Figure (1): Postulated mechanism of the sodium-potassium pump. ADP, adenosine

diphosphate; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; Pi, phosphate ion.

Importance of the Na+-K+ Pump

1) This pump is responsible for maintaining the sodium and potassium concentration
differences across the cell membrane.
2) Maintenance of intracellular potassium is necessary for protein metabolism.
3) It maintains a negative electrical voltage inside the cells (electrogenic nature of
Na+-K+ Pump).
4) It keeps the osmotic equilibrium and controlling cell volume.

2. Secondary active transport:

In this type of transport, there is a carrier existing in the lipid layer of the
membrane, which has one site for one sodium ion and the other site may be used by
one molecule of glucose, galactose or amino acids. The two sites must be occupied at

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the same time before the carrier can act. As in primary active transport, the molecules
move against their electrochemical gradient.
The energy supplied for this process comes from the movement of the sodium
along its electrochemical gradient.
Secondary active transport systems are all coupled systems; that is, they move
more than one substance at a time. If the two transported substances are moved in the
same direction, the system is a Co-transport. If the transported substances cross the
membrane in opposite directions, the system is a Counter-transport.

a) Co-transport system:

Glucose and amino acids are transported into most cells against large
concentration gradients by the co-transport mechanism. The concentration of sodium
ions is very high on the outside and very low inside, which provides energy for the
transport other substances along with it through the membrane.
This is achieved by means of a carrier protein that serves as an attachment point
for both the sodium ion and the substance to be co-transported, fig (2).

Figure (2): Sodium glucose co-transport

b) Counter-transport system:

In this type of transport sodium ions again attempt to diffuse to the interior of
the cell because of their large concentration gradient. However, this time, the

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substance to be transported is on the inside of the cell and must be transported to the
outside.
Two especially important counter-transport mechanisms are sodium-calcium
counter-transport fig (3) and sodium-hydrogen counter-transport.

Figure (3): sodium-calcium counter-transport.

Exocytosis and endocytosis: fig (4).

Exocytosis
Exocytosis is the process by which cells move materials from within the cell into
the extracellular fluid. Exocytosis occurs when a vesicle fuses with the plasma
membrane, allowing its contents to be released outside the cell.
Example: Releasing a neurotransmitter for cellular communication.

Endocytosis.

Endocytosis is the reverse of exocytosis. The process of taking a particle or

substance from outside of the cell and transferring it inside the cell using a
vesicle. These include phagocytosis, pinocytosis.

• Phagocytosis (“cell eating”) is the process by which bacteria, dead tissue, or

other bits of microscopic material are engulfed by cells such as the
polymorphonuclear leukocytes of the blood. The material makes contact with the
cell membrane, which then invaginates. The invagination is pinched off, leaving
the engulfed material in the membrane-enclosed vacuole and the cell membrane
intact.

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• Pinocytosis (“cell drinking”) is a similar process with the vesicles much smaller
in size and the substances ingested are in solution.

Figure (4): Exocytosis and endocytosis.

GOOD LUCK