Diffusion: The random movement of molecules from their higher concentrations to lower

concentrations under the influence of brownian (thermal) motion. The energy that causes
diffusion is the energy of the normal kinetic motion of matter.

Osmosis: Is the movement of solvent from its higher concentration to lower concentration
through a semipermeable membrane.

Transport through the cell membrane, either directly through the lipid bilayer or through the
proteins, occurs via one of two basic processes: diffusion or active transport.
Active transport
• Transport against concentration (or energy) gradient
• Needs energy (directly or indirectly) from hydrolysis of high-energy phosphates like
ATP
• Needs carrier protein
• Active transporters are called pumps
• Uphill process

Active transport is of 2 types:

1. Primary active transport
2. Secondary active transport

In primary active transport, the energy is derived directly from breakdown of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) or some other high-energy phosphate compound.
Examples: Na+-K+ Pump in all cells
Primary active transport of hydrogen ions is important at two places in the body:
(1) in the gastric glands of the stomach, and
(2) in the late distal tubules and cortical collecting ducts of the kidneys.

In secondary active transport, the energy is derived secondarily from energy that has been
stored in the form of ionic concentration differences of secondary molecular or ionic substances
(usually Na+) between the two sides of a cell membrane, created originally by primary active
transport.

Co-transport: Sodium-glucose co-transporters are especially important mechanisms in

transporting glucose across renal and intestinal epithelial cells.

Counter-transport: Two especially important counter-transport mechanisms are sodium-

calcium counter-transport and sodium-hydrogen counter-transport.
• Sodium-calcium counter-transport occurs through all or almost all cell membranes,
with sodium ions moving to the interior and calcium ions to the exterior.
• Sodium-hydrogen counter-transport occurs in several tissues. An especially important
example is in the proximal tubules of the kidneys, where sodium ions move from the
lumen of the tubule to the interior of the tubular cell while hydrogen ions are counter-
transported into the tubule lumen.
Diffusion is of 2 types:
1. Simple diffusion
• Transport along concentration gradient
• No additional energy is needed
• No carrier protein is needed
• May or may not need channel proteins
• Downhill process
• Diffusion of O2, CO2, transport through sodium or potassium channels
2. Facilitated diffusion
• Transport along concentration gradient
• No additional energy is needed
• Carrier protein is needed
• Downhill process
• Facilitated diffusion
• Examples include: facilitated diffusion of glucose and most of the amino acids.
In the case of glucose, at least 14 members of a family of membrane proteins
(called GLUT) that transport glucose molecules have been discovered in various
tissues. One of these, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), is activated by insulin,
which can increase the rate of facilitated diffusion of glucose as much as 10- to
20-fold in insulin-sensitive tissues.