Ch.

3 Movement of substances across cell membrane

Components
➢ Protein
➢ Phosolipids

i) Structure of phospholipids

ii) Structure of proteins

● Channel protein
➔ not require energy
➔ slow rate

● Carrier protein
➔ require energy
➔ fast rate

● Receptor
→bind to chemical messengers

● Antigens
→Glycoproteins for cell recognition

● Enzymes
→speed up chemical reactions

Materials are transported in and out of cells

● Cell membrane
➢ Differentially permeable
➔ Factors affecting the permeability of the cell membrane:
➔ Temperture
→Higher temp
→ higher kinetic energy → move faster and packe less closely
➔ Boiling
→damage membrane → fully permeable
➔ Nuclues
→breaks and fuses freely

Functions
● Control the movement of substances in and out of the cell
● Only allow small and non-polar (lipid-soluble) molecules directly across the cell
membrane – o2/co2
● Disable large and polar (water-soluble) molecules directly across the cell membrane
– Glucose/amino acid etc
Fluid Mosaic Model
● Fluid
→phospholipids molecules can move laterally
→leading to flexible cell membrane which unable it to change shape and fuse

● Mosaic
→protein molecules are interspersed among the phospholipids
→making the cell membrane strong enough to support the cell content – collidation

*Remarks:
-cholesterol is present among the phospholipid bilayer to stabilize the fluid nature of the
membrane
-detergent and alcohol can dissolve the phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane –kill
germs

Diffusion
Defintion:
➢ the net movement of particles down the concentration gradient ( from a region of
higher concentration to a lower concentration)
➢ no energy input is required
➢ the steeper the gradient, the higher rate of diffusion

When will diffusion stop?

● relative number of molecules is equal in the two areas when it’s occurred
→reached the equilibrium

Factors affecting the diffusion rate (in terms of ↑ rate of diffusion)

● Concentration gradient
- ↑ concentration gradient
● Temperture
- ↑ temperature
● Size of particles
- ↓ size of particles
● Distance
- ↓ diffusion distance
● Sureface area
- ↑ surface area of the cell membrane
Importance of diffusion
● Transport of oxygen and glucose into the cell
● Transport of carbon dioxide and metabolic waste out of the cell
● Transport of minerals ions across the cell membrane

Experiments about diffusion

Exam skills
a) Define diffusion @3 marks
→ The net movement of glucose molecules down concentration gradient from a
region of higher glucose concentration to a lower glucose concentration

b) What are the changes in the liquid levels in the capillary tubes in the set up X after 1
day? Explain the results.
➢ expected results
-The liquid level in set up X drops

➢ concentration difference
-The glucose concentration of 10% glucose solution is higher than 5%
glucose solution

➢ directional flow
-The glucose concentration of 10% glucose solution is higher than 5%
glucose solution

➢ Definition
-Downward concentration gradient
Osmosis (net movement of solvent)
● if osmosis & diffusion occurs at the same time
→ choose osmosis
→ as effect of osmosis > diffusion
Definition:
➢ the net movement of water molecules
➢ water potential difference (from high water potential to low water potential)
➢ through differentially permeable cell membrane

Concepts of Water potential value

● Highest water potential =0 concentration
● Lower water potential =-100 (dissolved 100 glucose)
**Water potential ↑ negative value → less negative

Importance of osmosis
● Movement of water from root hair to stem region in plant
● Absorption of water in human small intestines
● Absorption of water in plant roots

Experiments about osmosis

Exam skills
a) Define osmosis @3marks
→ The net movement of water molecules across a differentially permeable
membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential

b) What are the changes in the liquid levels in the capillary tubes in the set up X after 1
hour? Explain the results.
➢ expected results
-The liquid level in set up X rises

➢ water potential difference

-The water potential of distilled water is higher than 10% sucrose solution

➢ directional flow
-There is a net movement of water molecules from distilled water to the 10%
sucrose solution by osmosis

➢ Definition
-Through the differentially permeable cell membrane by osmosis
Cell status under different water potential
RBCs
● Hypotonic solution (more concentrated)
→enters the cell →swell and burst

● Isotonic solution (equally concentrated)

→no change →no change

● Hypertonic solution (less concentration)

→leaves the cell →shrink and wrinkled

Plant cell
● Hypotonic solution (more concentrated)
→enters the cell →become turgid

● Isotonic solution (equally concentrated)

→no change →no change

● Hypertonic solution (less concentration)

→leaves the cell

→become flaccid & plasmolysed;vacuoles shrink

**Precaution:
● Plasmolysis is only used to describe plant cell with segregation of cell membrane and
cell wall

● Flaccid (plant cells in isotonic solution)

=/= Shriveled (animal cell in hypertonic solution)
Active transport
● net movement of substances against a concentration gradient
● accelerated the process down concentration gradient
● requires energy

Importance of active transport

● it is the main process by which water enters or leaves cell in all organisms
● it allows the absorption of water in human small intestines
Phagocytosis
➔ at the cell membrane, pseudopodium is formed to engulf the target particle
➔ the particle is enclosed in a small vacuole
➔ the cell releases enzymes to digest the particle in the vacuole
➔ the digested products absorbed by the cell