Transport Across

Membrane

Passive transport Active transport Bulk transport

 Substances move from  Substances move from  Movement of large
high concentration to low concentration to quantities of material
low concentration high concentration into or out of cells
 No energy input  Energy input required  Energy input required
required  2 types:
 3 types: 1. Exocytosis
1. Simple diffusion 2. Endocytosis
2. Facilitated diffusion i) Phagocytosis
3. Osmosis ii) Pinocytosis
 Passive Transport

• Small molecules (CO2, O2,

H2O) will simply pass through
cell membrane.

• Entropy is driving force that

wants equal concentrations of
both sides of membrane.

• Membrane is considered
selectively permeable to
these molecules.
 Simple Diffusion

• Is movement of molecules
from a higher to a lower
concentration (down their
concentration gradient) until
equilibrium is achieved and
they are distributed equally.
• Conc. gradient - the
difference in concentration
of a substance between two
different regions (inside and
outside cells).
• A physical process that can
be observed with any type of
molecule (including dead cell
or non-living systems).
• Molecules pass through the plasma membrane by diffusion:
gases (O2, CO2), water molecules (rate slow due to polarity),
lipids (steroid hormones), lipid soluble molecules
(hydrocarbons, alcohols, some vitamins), small non-charged
molecules (NH3).
• E.g. movement of oxygen from the alveoli of lungs to blood in
the lung capillaries. After exhalation (breathing in), the
concentration of oxygen in the alveoli is higher than that in the
blood; therefore, oxygen diffuses into blood.

Gas exchange in
lungs by diffusion
 Osmosis

• Net movement of
water molecules from a
region of high water
potential to a region of
low water potential
through a selectively
permeable membrane.
• Passive process.

Isotonic: the solute concentration is equal

inside and outside of a cell.
Hypotonic: a solution has a lower solute Osmosis
concentration than the inside of a cell. Terms
Hypertonic: a solution has a higher solute
concentration than the inside of a cell.
a) A thistle tube, covered at the
broad end by a differentially
permeable membrane, contain a
10% sugar solution. The beaker
contains a 5% sugar.
b) The solute (green circles) is
unable to pass through
membrane, but the water (blue
circles) passes through in both
direction. There is a net
movement of water toward the
inside of the thistle tube where
there is a lower percentage of
water molecules.
c) Due to the incoming water
molecules, the level of the
solution rises in the thistle tube
d) Water enters the thistle tube
due to the osmotic pressure of
the solution within the thistle
tube.
• Osmotic pressure - A measure of the tendency of a
solution to take up water when separated from pure
water by a semi-permeable membrane.

• The greater the possible osmotic pressure the more

likely water will diffuse in that direction.

• E.g. Due to Osmotic pressure, water is absorbed from

the human large intestine, retained by the kidneys
and is taken up by capillaries from tissue fluid.
 It is a measure of the free energy
psi Ψ of water which is less when it is
The force responsible
has to surround solutes
for movement of
water in a system

Water Pure water: Ψ = 0

Water moves from high
Ψ to low Ψ, towards potential
more negative
concentrated region Pressure potential Ψp

Solute potential / osmotic

potential Ψs
Determined by solute
concentration
At equilibrium
 Isotonic solution Hypotonic solution Hypertonic solution
H2O
H2O H2O H2O

Animal
cell

Normal Lysed Shriveled

(hemolysis) (crenation)
H2O H2O Plasma H2O
membrane

Plant
cell
H2O
Flaccid Turgid Shriveled
(plasmolysis)
Response
of animal
cells to
osmotic
pressure
 Facilitated diffusion
• Passive transfer of a
substance into or out of a cell
along a concentration
gradient by a process that
require a carrier protein.
• Doesn’t require chemical
energy.
• Ions (Na+, K+, Cl-), sugars
(glucose), amino acids, small
water soluble molecules
Facilitated diffusion
involves channel
proteins and carrier
proteins.
 Active Transport

The movement of a substance across a

biological membrane against its concentration
gradient, with the help of energy input (ATP)
and specific transport protein.

Carrier protein and expenditure of energy (ATP

molecules) is needed to transport molecules
against their conc. gradient.

Kidney cells - have large number of

mitochondria near the membrane through
which active transport is occurring.

E.g. sodium-potassium pumps

 1 Na+ binds to protein pump.
ATP then adds a phosphate
group to the protein: 2 Phosphorylation
phosphorylation. causes protein to
change shape.

1
6 Cycle starts ADP

all over ATP 2

again as
6
Na+ binds
to protein.
3
5
4

5 Protein returns to
original shape due to
3 Conformational
loss of phosphate; K+ change in protein,
is released. releases Na+ ions
4 K+ binding triggers release to outside; K+ ions
of phosphate group. bind to protein.
 Exocytosis

• During exocytosis, vesicles

fuse with the plasma
membrane for secretion.
• Some cells are specialized to
produce and release specific
molecules.
• Examples include release
of digestive enzymes from
cells of the pancreas, or
secretion of the hormone
insulin in response to
rising blood glucose levels.
 Endocytosis

• During endocytosis, cells

take in substances by
invaginating a portion of
the plasma membrane,
and forming a vesicle
around the substance.

• Endocytosis occurs as:

i) Phagocytosis – large
particles (amoeba,
phagocytes)
ii) Pinocytosis – small
particles
Phagocytosis
• “Cell eating”
• Membrane sinks in and
captures solid particles for
transport into the cell.
• E.g: macrophages ingesting
bacteria or worn out red blood
cells; unicellular organisms
engulfing food particles.
Pinocytosis
• “Cellular drinking”
• Engulfing liquids and
small molecules
dissolved in liquids.
• E.g: intestinal cells,
kidney cells, plant root
cells.
• Phagocytosis and pinocytosis are not selective
• Membrane sinks inward and captures whatever
particles/fluid present
• Vesicle forms and merges with the Golgi body
 Passage Of Molecules Into And Out Cells

Name Direction Requirement Examples

Diffusion Toward lower Concentration Lipid-soluble
concentration gradient molecules, water
Energy and gases
no Facilitated Toward lower Channels or Some sugars
required diffusion concentration carrier and and some amino
concentration acids
gradient
Active Toward Carrier plus Sugars, amino
transport higher energy acids, and ions
concentration
Energy Exocytosis Toward Vesicle fuses Macromolecules
required outside with plasma
membrane
Endocytosis Toward Vesicle Macromolecules
inside formation