Cell Transportation

cell membrane - part of the cell that surrounds the cytoplasm and separates it from the
environment, semi-permeable membrane

permeable- allows things to pass through, ex. door

semi-permeable- allows some substances to pass through, ex. window
nonpermeable- doesn't allow to pass through, ex. wall

cell transport- the biological process through which materials pass into and out of the cell,
crossing the membrane or the outer wall in its process

solvent- a liquid substance that is used to dissolve another substance

-water is not the universal solvent, mainly because it can not dissolve everything
solute- substance to be dissolved
solution- a liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed
within the major component (the solvent)
concentration- the amount of substance in an area
gradient- the difference in concentration

passive transport- moves materials in and out of the cell without energy it uses the
concentration gradient, high to low concentration, ex. sliding downwards

● Diffusion- moves materials from an area of high to a low concentration until it reaches
equilibrium, requiring NO energy, ex. spraying perfume in one part of the room, entering
the room with coffee and cup noodles, dropping food color in water

● osmosis- it is the passage of water from high concentration to an area of low

concentration until it reaches equilibrium, diffusion but water molecules

WATER IS ATTRACTED TO HIGH AMOUNTS OF SOLUTE

- isotonic- the solute and water concentrations are equal inside the cell, the direction of
water goes outside and inside the cell, best for animal/normal cells and ok for plant cells,
cells stay the same

- hypotonic- the solute concentration is greater INSIDE the cell compared to the cell,
water goes inside the cell, bad for animal cell (cells swell, burst, cytolysis) good for plant
cell (bc plant cell have the cell wall)

- hypertonic- the solute concentration is greater OUTSIDE the cell, water flows out of the
cell, bad for animal cells(shriveled cells) plant cells (cytoplasm shrinks from the cell wall,
the cell membrane has a big gap) plasmolysis, dehydrated

proteins are important to all living organisms because of structural support, (b)recognition,
©communication, transport

there are instances large molecules like amino acids and glucose cannot easily pass through
the cell membrane so this call for a specific protein for them to pass through the cell membrane
hence needs a facilitator
 ● facilitated diffusion- does not require energy, needs a concentration gradient uses
transport proteins, high to low concentration
- channel protein -embedded in the cell and has a pore for materials to cross, there is an
entrance and exit on the protein
- carrier protein- proteins that change shape to move molecules from one side of the
membrane to the other, high to low

Active Transport- bulk or vesicular transport

- Requires energy or ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
- Moves materials from low to high concentration
- Against concentration gradient
- Ex. man climbing a mountain, requires more energy as the man is climbing against the
gravity that pulls him down

IT started with high to low but then when it reached the equilibrium or balance it continues the
transported materials across the membrane which will not happen in passive transport, so when
it moves against the concentration gradient then it consumes energy

An example of Active Transporta is the Sodium-Potassium pump

- This pumps sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell, against the
concentration gradient. There is the energy used to move materials in and out of cell;
exchange of potassium and sodium

Not all molecules can pass through the cell membrane even with the use of transport proteins or
at the expense of energy it is too big to the cell membrane. To allow the movement ofthose
large molecules we have the bulk transport mechanism
● Endocytosis - responsible for allowing the entry of large molecules
- Pinocytosis
- Phagocytosis
- Receptor-mediated endocytosis
● Exocytosis - excretion or exit of large molecules

Bulk transport or vesicular transport - allows large molecules by creating a vesicle that covers
the materials, then it will later be pinched off from the cell membrane.
- invagination, the two parts of the cell membrane will meet, and they will close the food
particle or the large molecule that needs to be transported in the cell, if the two
membranes meet we will now have our vesicle, it completely covers the molecule

ENDOCYTOSIS
● Pinocytosis
The classification of endocytosis depends on how and what materials are going inside the cell, if
the large molecule is a liquid, then it is called pinocytosis also known as cell drinking since the
material that needs to be transported inside is liquid. So the liquid molecules here will be
covered by a cell membrane by the plasma membrane it will encircle and pinch off now you
have a vesicle in the cell. The vesicle will be brought to the part of the cell that is responsible for
that material
 ● Phagocytosis (Cell eating( - responsible of allowing the entry of solid large particles,
which is usually bacteria. Encircled by the cell membrane, until it completely covers the
bacteria or the solid molecule and will be pinched off by the cell membrane, the vesicle
Ex. Macrophage- often the first responders upon invasion by foreign pathogens, and
their specialty is phagocytosis
- The macrophage is eating the bacteria or foreign materials, once inside the
macrophage the vesicle containing the harmful microorganism will be the target
of the lysosomes, the organelle that has a harmful chemical that kill foreign
invaders, that’s one of our immunity against viruses
Ex. capture of a parasite (green) by membrane extensions of an immune system cell
orange)

● Receptor-mediated endocytosis - this is a specific type of endo as the [proteins

embedded on the surface of the cell membrane will only allow the molecules known by
the receptor, could be liquid or solid
- After attaching to the receptors there will be an invagination, it will be pinched off
from the cell membrane

EXOCYTOSIS
- Allows large molecules to exit the cell, usually happens when cells secrete waste
materials
- The vesicle will move closer to the cell membrane and it will, later on, insert itself along
the cell membrane, then it will release the contents outside the cell
- E. the engulfed foreign material will be attacked by the lysosomes, the material is dead,it
is now a waste for our cells