Topic 1.

MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
Topic Outline AUDIO

 Membrane Transport

 Diffusion

 Facilitated Diffusion

 Osmosis / Osmolarity

 Active Transport

 Vesicular Transport

 Bulk Transport ATP

Membranes control the composition of cells by active and passive transport

Types of Membrane Transport

Membrane transport occurs by one of two processes: High Concentration

Passive Transport

PA S S I V E
• Involves movement along a concentration gradient

ACTIVE
• Does not involve the expenditure of energy (ATP)

Active Transport ATP

• Involves movement against a concentration gradient
• Involves the expenditure of energy (ATP) Low Concentration
Types of Passive Transport

There are three main types of passive transport mechanisms:

Simple Diffusion
• Small or lipophilic molecules can freely cross the plasma membrane

Facilitated Diffusion
• Large or charged molecules require transport via membrane proteins

Osmosis
• Water movement is determined by relative solute concentrations

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Simple Diffusion

The net movement of particles from a region of high concentration to a region of

low concentration (along a concentration gradient) until equilibrium is reached

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Facilitated Diffusion

Certain substances cannot freely cross a plasma

membrane (e.g. ions, polar macromolecules)
• Membrane proteins facilitate their transport

Protein Channels
• Have hydrophilic pores to allow passage of ions

Carrier Proteins Protein Carrier

Channel Protein
• Conformational change enables translocation

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Example: Channel Protein

Potassium Channels Voltage-gated Channel

• Integral proteins with a hydrophilic inner pore
via which potassium ions may be transported +
+
+ –
• Inner pore contains a selectivity filter in order
to restrict the passage of alternative ions
• Channels adopt an open / closed conformation
based on membrane polarity (voltage-gated) or
Closed Open
binding of neurotransmitter (ligand-gated)

Structure and function of potassium channels for facilitated diffusion in axons

Osmosis

The net movement of free water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane

from a region of low solute concentration to a region of high solute concentration

Low solute levels (high free water) High solute levels (low free water)

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Osmolarity

Osmolarity is a measure of solute concentration Before Osmosis

Hypertonic Hypotonic
Solutions can be classified as:
• Hypertonic: Higher relative solute concentration
➪ Hypertonic solutions gain water via osmosis
• Hypotonic: Lower relative solute concentration After Osmosis
➪ Hypotonic solutions lose water via osmosis Gain water
Lose water
• Isotonic: Same relative solute concentration
➪ There is no overall net water movement

Estimation of osmolarity in tissues by bathing samples in hypotonic and hypertonic solutions

Example: Osmotic Potential

Animal tissues must be bathed in isotonic solutions to maintain cell viability

• Hypertonic solutions cause shriveling, while hypotonic solutions cause lysis

Plant cells maintain an overall fixed shape due to the presence of a rigid cell wall

Hypertonic Solution Isotonic Solution Hypotonic Solution

Tissues used in medical procedures must be bathed in solutions with same osmolarity as the cytoplasm
Active Transport

Active transport uses energy to pump molecules

against a concentration gradient (low ⟶ high)

Direct Active Transport (Primary)

• ATP hydrolysis is used to mediate transport
ATP
Indirect Active Transport (Secondary)
• Transport coupled to another molecule moving Direct Indirect
(Primary) (Secondary)
along an electrochemical gradient (cotransport)

Particles move across membranes by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
Example: Protein Pump

Sodium-Potassium Pump
• Three sodium ions attach to intracellular binding sites on the protein pump
• ATP hydrolysis changes conformation, exposing extracellular binding sites
• Two potassium ions attach to these sites and ions are exchanged (antiport)

Na+ efflux K+ influx

P P P
ATP
ADP

Structure and function of sodium-potassium pumps for active transport in axons

Vesicular Transport

Molecules destined for secretion are transported

within the cell’s membranous network by vesicles rough ER
• Ribosomes synthesise secretory proteins into vesicle

the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum

• Budding of the ER membrane creates a vesicle
which transports the protein to the Golgi body golgi
complex
• The protein is then transported from the Golgi vesicle
membrane
body (via a vesicle) to the plasma membrane

Vesicles move materials within cells

Bulk Transport (Cytosis)

The bilayer is held together by hydrophobic interactions between fatty acid tails
• The interactions can be easily broken and reformed (requires ATP hydrolysis)

Separation or fusion of membranes allows materials to be transported en masse

The fluidity of membranes allow materials to be taken into cells by endocytosis or released by exocytosis
Endocytosis

Endocytosis is the process by which substances enter ① ②

the cell without passing across the plasma membrane
(the substances become internalised within a vesicle)

• Phagocytosis is the ingestion of solid substances

③ ④
(e.g. food particles, foreign pathogens, etc.)

• Pinocytosis is the ingestion of liquids / solutions

(e.g. the mass intake of dissolved solutes)

The fluidity of membranes allow materials to be taken into cells by endocytosis or released by exocytosis
Exocytosis

Exocytosis involves materials exiting a cell without crossing the plasma membrane
(materials are packaged and stored within the Golgi complex prior to secretion)
• Material can be immediately released following synthesis (constitutive secretion)
• Material release can be delayed until a signal is received (regulatory secretion)

The fluidity of membranes allow materials to be taken into cells by endocytosis or released by exocytosis
Topic Review

Can you do the following?

• Compare passive and active transport

• Describe the types of passive transport
• Outline how osmolarity affects cells / tissues
• Describe the process of active transport
• Identify organelles required for vesicle transport
• Describe the process of bulk transport (cytosis)
• Contrast endocytosis and exocytosis