• By the end of this topic, students should be able

to:
1) List the components on the surface of
membrane
2) Identify the general properties of plasma
membrane
3) Distinguish the differences between passive
and active transport
6.1 Fluid Mosaic Model
6.2 Transport of Small Molecules
6.3 Transport of Large Molecules
It’s like a fluid…
It’s like a mosaic…
It’s the
Fluid Mosaic Model!
• All movement of substances go through the
cell membrane, which is known as the plasma
membrane.
• The necessity for the movement of substances
across a plasma membrane are:
• a) Cells need nutrients and oxygen.
• b) Cells produce waste product which exit
through the plasma membrane.
• c) The plasma membrane control the types
and the amounts of substances needed by the
cell at any one time.
 Cell membrane
▫ Lies immediately
against the cell wall
▫ Made of protein and
phospholipids
▫ Selectively permeable
▫ FUNCTION: Controls
the movement of
materials into and out
of the cell
 Davson-Danielli, 1935
• Lipid/protein ‘sandwich’
• Thought that surface proteins might be flat beta
sheet.
 Singer and Nicholson proposed the fluid
mosaic model, 1972 to explain the structure
of the plasma membrane.
• The fluid mosaic model is the currently
accepted model of the cell membrane.
• The basic unit of the plasma membrane is the
phospholipid molecule.
Sandwich and Fluid Mosaic Models
• The phospholipid molecule consists of:
a) A polar molecule carries an unequal
distribution of electric charge. This
unequal distribution of electric charge
produce a polar molecule which can
attract other polar molecule such as water
molecules.
b) Hydrophilic means ‘water-loving’ or
attracted to water molecule
c) Hydrophobic ‘water-hating’, or repelling
water molecules.
• Make up the cell
membrane
• Contains 2 fatty acid
chains that are
nonpolar
• Head is polar &
contains a –PO4
group
• Other molecule present in the plasma membrane
are:
a) Cholesterol molecules which fit in between the
phospholipid molecules, making the plasma
membrane more rigid and stable.
b) Carrier protein and channel protein which assist
and control the movement of water-soluble ions
and certain molecules across the membrane.
c) Glycolipids which are combination of lipids and
polysaccharides, help cells to recognise each
other.
d) Glycoprotein which are combination of protein and
polysaccharides, also help cells to recognise each
other.
1. Permeable means allowing something to pass
through.
2. The plasma membrane is selective permeable or
semi-permeable as it allows only certain substances
to pass through it but not others.
3. The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to:
a) Small non-polar (hydrophobic) molecules that are
lipid-soluble, such as fatty acids, glycerol, steroid,
vitamin A, D, E and K.
b) Small unchanged molecules, such as water, oxygen
and carbon dioxide. These molecules are small
enough to squeeze through between the
phospholipid gaps by simple diffusion or osmosis
down their respective concentration gradients.
The phospholipid bilayer is not permeable to:
a) Large polar molecule, that are not soluble in lipid,
such as glucose, amino acids, nucleic acids and
polysaccharides.
b) Ions (charged), regardless of size, such as: H+, Na+,
HCO3-, K+, Ca²+, and Mg²+
 TYPES OF TRANSPORT ACROSS CELL
MEMBRANES
SMALL MOLECULES LARGE MOLECULES

PASSIVE TRANSPORT ACTIVE Endocytosis Exocytosis

TRANSPORT

Simple Gated ion

Diffusion Facilitated
channel
Diffusion
Three Forms of Transport Across the Membrane
• Diffusion is the net movement of particles
(molecules or ions) of a substance from a region
of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration of that substance moving down a
concentration gradient until an equilibrium is
achieved.

• Diffusion is a PASSIVE process which means no

energy is used to make the molecules move,
they have a natural KINETIC ENERGY
 Diffusion of Liquids

 Diffusion
 movement from high  low concentration
• Requires NO energy
• Molecules move from
area of HIGH to LOW
concentration
• Example: Oxygen or
water diffusing into a
cell and carbon
dioxide diffusing out.
 In solids (like rock), diffusion is very slow
• ~ 10-5 mm/min
In liquids, it is much faster
• ~ 0.5 mm/min
In gases, it is fastest
• ~ 10 cm/min
Diffusion is faster with increased heat
• Takes place in gas rather than in liquid

• Takes place at a higher temperature rather than

at a lower temperature

• Involves small-sized moleculse rather than

large-sized molecules as smaller molecules
diffuse faster than larger ones.

• Occurs over a steep concentration gradient (a

large difference in concentration between two
areas)
• Osmosis is the movement of
water molecules from region
of high water concentration to
low water concentration
through a semi-permeable
membrane.
• Water molecules bound to
solutes cannot pass due to
size, only unbound molecules.
• Free water molecules collide,
bump into the membrane, and
pass through.
• What will happen in
the U-tube if water
freely moves through
the membrane but
glucose can not pass?

• Water moves from side

with high concentration of
water to side with lower
concentration of water.
Movement stops when
osmotic pressure equals
hydrostatic pressure.
 25

AS Biology, Cell
membranes and
Transport

CONCENTRATED SOLUTION
DILUTE SOLUTION
Cell membrane
SEMI- permeable.
Sugar molecule

VERY Low conc.

of water
OSMOSIS molecules. Low
water potential.

VERY High conc.

of water Inside cell Outside cell
molecules. High
water potential.
EQUILIBRIUM. Equal water concentration on each side.
Equal water potential has been reached. There is no net
movement of water
• Cells remove water
produced by cell
respiration.
• Large intestine cells
transport water to
bloodstream
• Kidney cells form
urine
 • The ability of a solution to cause a cell within it
to gain or lose water
• refers to the total solute concentration of the
solution outside the cell that cannot cross the
membrane.
• What are the three types of tonicity?
1) Isotonic
2) Hypotonic
3) Hypertonic
• Solutions that have the same concentration of solutes as
the suspended cell.

• What will happen to a cell placed in an Isotonic solution?

• The cell will have no net movement of water and will stay
the same size.
• Ex. Blood plasma has high concentration of albumin
molecules to make it isotonic to tissues.
• Solutions that have a lower solute concentration than the
suspended cell.

• What will happen to a cell placed in a Hypotonic solution?

• The cell will gain water and swell.
• In animal cell the cell expand and bursts, then we call this
lysis-(Red blood cells = hemolysis)
• In plant cells with rigid cell walls, this creates turgor
pressure.
• Solutions that have a higher solute concentration than a
suspended cell.

• What will happen to a cell placed in a Hypertonic solution?

• The cell will lose water and shrink. (Red blood cells =
crenation)
• In plant cells, the central vacuole will shrink and the
plasma membrane will pull away from the cell wall causing
the cytoplasm to shrink called plasmolysis.
• Animal cells placed into a hypotonic solution will
HEMOLYSIS (EXPLODE).
• Animal cells placed into a hypertonic solution
will CRENATE (SHRIVEL).

Hemolysis
Crenation

Red
Blood
Cells
• Firmness or tension (vacuole Water
full) that is found in plant cells Water
(cell wall) that are in a
hypotonic environment is
called TURGID. Central
Vacuole
• This process is called
Water Cell Water
TURGOR PRESSURE
Wall
• When the plasma membrane Water
Water
pulls away from the cell wall
(vacuole empty) in a
hypertonic environment (loss plasma membrane
of water) is called
PLASMOLYSIS. Cell
Wall Water
hypotonic hypertonic isotonic

hypertonic isotonic hypotonic

• Facilitated diffusion is the net movement of
molecules from a high concentration to a low
concentration with the aid of channel or carrier
proteins.
• Doesn’t require energy
Facilitated Diffusion
Molecules will randomly move through
the pores in Channel Proteins.
 Facilitated Diffusion
• Some Carrier
proteins do not
extend through the
membrane.
• They bond and drag
molecules through
the lipid bilayer
and release them
on the opposite
side.
Carrier Proteins
• Other carrier
proteins
change shape
to move
materials
across the cell
membrane
How do molecules move through the
plasma membrane by facilitated diffusion?

• Channel and Carrier proteins are specific:

• Channel Proteins allow ions, small solutes, and water to
pass
• Carrier Proteins move glucose and amino acids
• Facilitated diffusion is rate limited BECAUSE by the
number of proteins channels/carriers present in the
membrane.
• Molecules move from
areas of low concentration
to areas of high
concentration with the aid
of ATP energy.
• AGAINST concentration
gradient
• Requires protein carriers
called Pumps.
• Example: the Na+/K+ pump
The mechanism that uses energy (active
transport) released from splitting ATP to
transport Sodium (Na+) out of and
Potassium (K+) into cells.
Here, two gradients are formed, one for
each ion.
Gradients have opposite orientation
 Sodium is high outside, low inside

 Potassium is high inside and low

outside

extracellular intracellular
K+ K+
fluid
fluid
Na+ Na+
 Sodium-Potassium Pump

3 Na+ pumped out for every 2 K+

pumped in; creates a membrane potential
• 3 Sodium ions move out of the cell and then 2
Potassium ions move into the cell.
• Driven by the splitting of ATP to provide energy
and conformational change to proteins by
adding and then taking away a phosphate group.
• Used to establish an electrochemical gradient
across neuron cell membranes.
 Secondary Active Transport
-Via Facilitated Diffusion of Na
• Counter Transport – the transport
of two substances at the same
time in opposite directions, without
ATP. Protein carriers are called
Antiports.
• Co-transport – the transport of
two substances at the same time in
the same direction, without ATP.
Protein carriers are called
Symports.
• Gated Channels – receptors
combined with channel proteins.
When a chemical messenger binds
to a receptor, a gate opens to allow
ions to flow through the channel.
7.2 Transport of
Small Molecules
 TYPES OF TRANSPORT ACROSS CELL
MEMBRANES
SMALL MOLECULES LARGE MOLECULES

PASSIVE TRANSPORT ACTIVE Endocytosis Exocytosis

TRANSPORT

Simple Gated ion

Diffusion Facilitated
channel
Diffusion
• Moving large molecules into & out of cell
through vesicles & vacuoles
1.endocytosis
 phagocytosis = “cellular eating”
 pinocytosis = “cellular drinking
 receptor-mediated
endocytosis
2.exocytosis
• Endocytosis is the case when a molecule causes the cell
membrane to bulge inward, forming a vesicle.
• The opposite of endocytosis is exocytosis. Large
molecules that are manufactured in the cell are released
through the cell membrane.
• Phagocytosis is a cell eating where the cells engulf particles
with pseudopodia and pinches off a food vacuole.
• Two examples:
1. White Blood Cell ingesting bacteria
2. Amoeba engulfing food particles
Phagocytosis -
Capture of a
Yeast Cell
(yellow) by
Membrane
Extensions of
an Immune
System Cell
(blue)
• Pinocytosis is a cell
drinking where the
droplets of
extracellular fluid are
absorbed into the cell
by small vesicles.
• Not extremely
specific or targeted
• Ex. Intestinal cells,
Kidney cells, Plant
root cells
Most common form of endocytosis.
Takes in dissolved molecules as a vesicle.
Pinocytosis
• Cell forms an
invagination
• Materials dissolve
in water to be
brought into cell
• Called “Cell
Drinking”
• Importing specific macromolecules into the cell by the
inward budding of vesicles formed from coated pits
(receptors).
• Coated pits are specific locations coated with clathrin
and receptors. When specific molecules bind to the
receptors, then this stimulates the molecules to be
engulfed into a coated vesicle.
• Ex. Uptake of cholesterol (LDL) by animal cells
 Endocytosis
fuse with
lysosome for
phagocytosis
digestion

non-specific
pinocytosis
process

Specific
receptor-mediated triggered by
endocytosis
molecular signal
• Endocytosis is the transport of materials into a cell.
• Materials are enclosed by a fold of the cell membrane,
which then pinches shut to form a closed vesicle.
• Materials digested form a small product molecules
 Moving the “Big Stuff”

Exocytosis-
moving
things out.

Molecules are moved out of the cell by vesicles that fuse with
the plasma membrane.
This is how many hormones are secreted and how nerve cells
communicate with one another.
Endocytosis and Exocytosis:

Receptor-mediated endocytosis and exocytosis

Summary of Membrane Transport

Uses Uses
Specific Controllable
Method energy proteins
Lipid
Diffusion
N N N N

Osmosis N N Y N
Passive
N Y Y Y
Transport
Active
Y Y Y Y
Transport
Vesicles Y N Y Y
1. Enzymes: A protein built into the membrane may be an enzyme with an
active site exposed to the substances
2. Transport: Divided into channel (passsive transport) and carrier protein
(passive and active transport).
3. Cell identification markers: Glycolipids and glycoprotein function to
identify other cell. Important in in immune system – cell patrolling the body
tissues identify and destroying foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses.
4. Cell adhesion-juction: serve to bind cell together, to prevent the movement
of material between the cell , or to allow cells to communicate with each
other.
5. Attachment to cytoskeleton: Function to maintain cell shapes and fixes
the location of certain membrane proteins.
6. Receptors: Hormones are molecules that cells use to communicate with
one another. Receptor enable cell to detect hormones and variety of other
chemicals. Eg: insulin to reduce glucose level in blood.
Any Questions??