Active transport

Substances are transported passively down concentration gradients. Often, substances have to be
moved from a low to a high concentration - against a concentration gradient.

Active transport is a process that is required to move molecules against a concentration gradient. The
process requires energy from respiration.

Plants need to absorb mineral ions from the soil to keep healthy. They need to absorb them from a low
concentration in the soil to a higher concentration in the plant. This is against a concentration gradient,
so it will not happen naturally like diffusion and osmosis. Plants therefore use active transport to absorb
mineral ions into root hair cells.

Animals, including humans, need to absorb all glucose molecules from their food. This is taken from
the gut wall, inside the small intestine, into the blood. There is more glucose (a higher concentration of
glucose) in the intestine than the blood after having just eaten a sugary meal. So, the glucose moves
from high concentration in the small intestine to lower concentration in the blood by diffusion.

However, after a short while there is the same or more glucose in the blood, so there is a low
concentration of glucose in the intestine. Now glucose cannot move into the blood by diffusion. This is
against a concentration gradient, so it will not happen naturally. Animals therefore use active transport
to absorb glucose into the blood under these conditions. The process requires energy produced by
respiration.
Comparing diffusion, osmosis and active
transport
In animals, plants and microorganisms, substances move into and out of cells by diffusion, osmosis and
active transport.

Energy
Process Descriptions Substances moved
required

Substances move from a high to a low

Carbon dioxide, oxygen, water,
Diffusion concentration down a concentration No
food substances, wastes, eg urea
gradient

Water moves from a high to a low

concentration across a partially
Osmosis Water No
permeable membrane and down a
concentration gradient

Mineral ions into plant roots,

Active Substances move against a glucose from the gut into
Yes
transport concentration gradient intestinal cells, from where it
moves into the blood

A gradient is a slope. The diagram below shows the direction of movement of particles by diffusion,
osmosis and active transport on a concentration gradient.