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MEMBRANE STRUCTURE AND

TRANSPORT

3.2 Movement of substance across membrane

Learning Outcomes :
(a) Explain the processes of passive and active
transports, endocytosis and exocytosis
(b) Explain the concepts of water potential,
solute potential and pressure potential
(c) Calculate the water potential of a plant cell
in a solution.

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 Membrane Structure and Transport
The Purposes

 to maintain suitable pH
& ion concentration for enzymatic activities
 to excrete metabolic waste & toxins
to bring in food/nutrients for metabolic activities
to secrete necessary substance (enzymes, hormones)
to create ion gradients for nerves & muscles activities

Passive Transport 1

DEFINITION:
•Movement of ions and molecules down its concentration gradient
•Net movement of solute stop when the equilibrium is reached.
The solute potential at both sides of the membrane is equal.
Solute molecules moving in and out are the same.
•Does not require energy ( ATP )

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Facilitated
Diffusion Diffusion
TYPES OF
PASSIVE
TRANSPORT

Osmosis

HemoIysis
PlasmoIysis

DIFFUSION 3

• Diffusion is the net movement of a substance down its

concentration gradient from a region of greater concentration to
one of lower concentration.

• driven by the intrinsic kinetic energy (thermal motion or heat) of

molecules.
• a physical process

• Movements of individual molecules are random.

• However, movement of a population of molecules may be

directional/limited.

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• e.g. a permeable membrane separating a solution

with dye molecules from pure water,
• dye molecules will cross the barrier randomly.
• until both solutions have equal concentrations of the dye -
dynamic equilibrium
• i.e. the stage where the number of molecules pass one way
is as many as those cross the other direction.

Pt1.4

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DIFFUSION of two solutes
• each substance diffuses down its own concentration gradient

• independent of the concentration gradients of other

substances.

Solute
(molecular)
Temperature
size
Properties
RATE OF DIFFUSION of membrane
is determined by:

Density Concentration
of solvent gradients

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FACILITATED DIFFUSION
Definition
• uses specific transport proteins

• to move solutes across a membrane

• down their concentration gradients.

• without the use of energy

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Features
• passive

• carrier proteins

-  enzyme
- allow only specific molecules
• (e.g. polar molecules and ions)
- catalyze physical process

• down concentration gradients.

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FACILITATED DIFFUSION
as compared to simple diffusion…
is more because the protein
selective &
controlled
allows only
specific
molecules/ions

receptor sites are

and the protein’s
compatible with those
of translocated
molecules/ions

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OSMOSIS
Definition
• Is a kind diffusion in which molecules of water pass through
a selectively permeable membrane from a region where
water has a higher concentration to a region where its
concentration is lower until an equilibrium is reached.

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Definition
• The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable
membrane from the hypotonic solution to the hypertonic
solution.

• it continues until the solutions are isotonic.

• its direction is determined by difference in total [solute] not

the types of solutes

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• when the two solutions are isotonic.

• water molecules move at equal rates from one to the

other
• with no net osmosis

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The Concepts of Water Potential

(esp. in plant cells)
• water moves about randomly (in liquid or gas forms)
• due to intrinsic kinetic energy
• water moves by osmosis from hypotonic to hypertonic
solution…

• in plant cells, cell walls affect the osmosis

• by causing physical pressure

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• The physical property predicting the direction…

• in which water will flow…

• governed by [solute] and applied pressure.

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• the symbol

a Greek alphabet, psi, 

• the units

kilopascals (kPa) @ megapascals (MPa)

1 MPa = 1 000 kPa
= 10 atm
= 105 N/m2

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• the three quantities…

Water Potentials, 

Solute Potentials, s

Pressure Potentials, p

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Water Potentials, 
  predict/measure the direction of water in an osmotic
system
 Water molecules move:
@ from hypotonic solution to hypertonic solution
@ from [water] to [water] 
@ from  to  
 i.e  hypotonic >  hypertonic

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Water Potentials, 
 the maximum value is
Water potential for pure water
(in a container open to the atmosphere) = 0 kPa
 kinetic energy of pure water is the highest

 i.e  pure water >  hypotonic >  hypertonic

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Solute Potentials, s

 s (or osmotic potential) value is always negative

 The greater solute concentration, the more negative its s
value

 s predict/measure the change in  with the presence of

solute molecules.

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Pressure Potentials, p

 p in plant cells due to the presence of cell walls

 A plant cell immersed in a solution of higher  (or

hypotonic) than the cell ---- the cell swells (Turgor
pressure).

 p value is positive.

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 The combined effects of pressure and [solute] on water

potential are incorporated into the following equation:

 = s + p

Remember:

s promotes water uptake

p against water uptake

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Water Potential : Example 1

p = - 000 kPa
s = - 230 kPa
 = 0 kPa s = - 230 kPa

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Water Potential : Example 2

p = - 230 kPa
s = - 230 kPa
 = 0 kPa s = - 030 kPa
No net water movement

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Water Potential : Example 3

p = - 300 kPa
s = - 230 kPa
 = 0 kPa s = - 070 kPa

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Water Potential : Example 4

p = - 300 kPa p = - 300 kPa

s = - 230 kPa s = - 230 kPa
s = - 300 kPa s = - 230 kPa

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 OSMOSIS IN PLANT CELLS 28

When a flaccid cell (p = 0) placed in a hypertonic solution

 cell > solution
water will leave the cell by osmosis
the protoplast will plasmolyze, shrinking and pulling away
from its wall
Incipient plasmolysis: p = 0 ;
cell = s = solution
  = s + p
 p = 0 ,  = s + 0  = s
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 If a flaccid cell is placed in pure water…

 (p = 0), (cell < pure water)
 due to the presence of solutes in the cell
 water will enter the cell by osmosis.
 the cell swells and push against the wall…
 producing a turgor pressure

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 the partially elastic cell wall will push back…

 until this pressure is great enough
 to offset the tendency of water to enter the cell

 Magnitude of s = Magnitude of p

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OSMOSIS IN ANIMAL CELLS

an animal cell immersed in an isotonic solution

no net movement of water across its plasma membrane

water flows across the membrane, but at the same rate in

both directions

the volume of the cell is stable

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ANIMAL CELLS…
 in a hypertonic solution ( )
will lose water, shrivel, and
probably die

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ANIMAL CELLS…
 in a hypotonic solution ( )
will gain water, swell, and
burst

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Effects On Cells: The Summary

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Appendix 1
The Membrane…
 allows the following substances to pass through
 gases  small polar molecules
e.g. CO2, O2 e.g. H2O, ethanol
 hydrophobic molecules
e.g. benzene

 does not allow the following substances

 large polar molecules
e.g. glucose
 charged molecules
e.g. Na+, Cl-, H+, Ca2+, amino acids Pt1.6

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