Transport across the cell membrane One of the most important functions of plasma membrane is the transport of molecules across it. The membrane is selectively permeable to some molecules present on either side of it. The transport of materials through the membrane could be passive or active. Passive Active @) Gi) 7 itasion and facilitated diffusion \ — Active transport (Na‘/K*pump) Passive transport: When the molecules move across the membrane without any use of energy it is called passive transport. Passive transport could be by diffusion or osmosis. Diffusion: It is a process in which the molecules of a substance from an area of their high concentration move across the membrane to an area of low concentration. The neutral solutes simply diffuse along the concentration gradient, i.c., from higher to lower concentration. Osmosis: The movement of water molecules through the selectively permeable plasma membrane is called osmosis. Facilitated diffusion: As the polar molecules cannot pass through the non- polar lipid bilayer, they need a carrier protein of the membrane to facilitate their transport across the membrane. This kind of diffusion across the membrane with the help of carrier molecule is called facilitated diffusion. Active transport: Active transport refers to transport of molecules by using energy. A few ions or molecules are transported across the membrane against their concentration gradient, i.e., from lower to the higher concentration. Such a transport is an energy dependent process. In active transport, ATP is utilised to get energy. The sodium-potassium pump (Na‘/K* pump) is an example of active transport. Osmosis