ACTIVITY 2 – DIFFUSION QFR (BUYUCAN, S.I.

G)

1. Describe how the chemical composition of the cell membrane regulates the entry and exit of solute and
solvent into and out of the cell.

The cell membrane controls what goes in and out by having protein channels that act like funnels in some cases and
pumps in other cases. Passive transport does not require energy molecules and happens when a funnel opens in the
membrane, letting molecules flow through.

2. Differentiate the following:

a. Facilitated diffusion via carrier proteins and facilitated diffusion via ion channels

Carrier proteins transport substances both down and against the concentration gradient while transport through ion
channel is done down concentration gradient (high to low concentration) then it is facilitated diffusion, and if it is
done up concentration gradient (low to high concentration), then it is active transport which requires ATP.

b. Primary active transport and secondary active transport

In primary active transport, the energy is derived directly from the breakdown of ATP. In the secondary active
transport, the energy is derived secondarily from energy that has been stored in the form of ionic concentration
differences between the two sides of a membrane.

c. Endocytosis, exocytosis and transcytosis

Endocytosis is a cellular process by which cell membrane captures materials in a pocket that turns into a vesicle and
carry its contents to the cell’s interior while transcytosis is a transcellular process that takes in materials from one
side of a cell, transports them across the cell in the form of membrane-coated vesicles and releases on the other side
of the cell. Thus, this is the key difference between endocytosis and transcytosis. Moreover, exocytosis is the
process by which cells move materials from within the cell into the extracellular fluid. Exocytosis occurs when a
vesicle fuses with the plasma membrane, allowing its contents to be released outside the cell.