Cellular Transport

Notes
 About Cell Membranes
• All cells have a cell
membrane
• Functions:
a. Controls what enters and
exits the cell to maintain an
internal balance called
homeostasis
b. Provides protection and
TEM picture of a real
support for the cell cell membrane.
 What is the purpose of cellular transport?
• Homeostasis depends upon appropriate movement of
materials across the cell membrane.
– Required materials must pass into the cells so they can be
utilized.
• Ex. Oxygen and glucose for cellular respiration
– Waste materials must pass out of the cells as they are
produced
• Ex. The CO2 produced as a waste product of cellular respiration
• The cell membrane regulates the passage of
materials into and out of the cell.
– Needed materials move in
– Excess materials move out
 How? Membrane
movement a
nimation
• Each individual cell exists in a fluid environment,
and the cytoplasm within the cell also has a fluid
environment. The presence of a liquid makes it
possible for substances (such as nutrients, oxygen,
and waste products) to move into and out of the cell.
• A cell membrane is semipermeable (selectively
permeable), meaning that some substances can pass
directly through the cell membrane while other
substances can not.
• Materials can enter or exit through the cell membrane
by passive transport or active transport.
 • Animations of Active
Types of Cellular Transport Transport & Passive
Transport
Weeee!!!
• Passive Transport
cell doesn’t use energy
1. Diffusion high
2. Facilitated Diffusion
3. Osmosis low

• Active Transport
This is
cell does use energy gonna be
hard
1. Protein Pumps high
work!!

2. Endocytosis
3. Exocytosis
low
 Passive Transport
• cell uses no energy
• molecules move randomly
• The random motion of molecules occurs
along the concentration gradient meaning
molecules spread out from an area of high
concentration to an area of low
concentration.
• (HighLow)
• Three types:
 3 Types of Passive Transport

1. Diffusion – is the spreading out of molecules

across a cell membrane until they are equally
concentrated.
2. Facilitative Diffusion – diffusion with the
help of transport proteins
3. Osmosis – diffusion of water
 Passive Transport:
Simple Diffusio
1. Diffusion n Animation
• Diffusion: random movement of particles
from an area of high concentration to an
area of low concentration.
• Diffusion continues until all molecules are evenly
spaced (equilibrium is reached)-Note: molecules
will still move around but stay spread out.
 Passive Transport:
2. Facilitated Diffusion A B
• Facilitated diffusion: diffusion of
specific particles along the
concentration gradient (High 
Low) with the help of transport
proteins found in the membrane
a. Transport Proteins are specific –
they “select” only certain
molecules to cross the Facilitated Diffusion
membrane diffusion (Lipid
b. Transports larger or charged (Channel Bilayer)
molecules that cannot pass
through the membrane on their Protein)
own
c. Glucose is an example of a
molecule that passes into the
cell through facilitated diffusion

• Carrier Protein
 Passive Transport: 2. Facilitated Diffusion
Glucose
molecules
Cellular Transport From a-
High Concentration
High
• Channel Proteins
animations

Cell Membrane

Protein
Low Concentration
Low
channel

Through a 
Transport
Go to
Protein
Section:
 Passive Transport: Osmosis
animation
3. Osmosis
• Osmosis: diffusion of water
through a selectively permeable
membrane
• Water moves from a high
concentration of water to a low
concentration of water
• Because water is so small and
in such abundance, the cell
cannot control its movement
through the cell membrane.
 Effects of Osmosis on Life
• Water moves freely through
pores.
• Solute (green) too large
to move across.
• Reminder:
– Solute: what is being dissolved
– Solvent: what dissolves the solute
• In salt water, the solute is the salt and the solvent is the
water
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,
Hypotonic Solution hypertonic, and
hypotonic solutions

Hypotonic: The solution has a lower concentration of

solutes and a higher concentration of water than inside the
cell. (Low solute; High water)

Result: Water moves from the solution to inside the cell):

Cell Swells and bursts open (lyse)!
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,
Hypertonic Solution hypertonic, and
hypotonic solutions

Hypertonic: The solution has a higher concentration of

solutes and a lower concentration of water than inside the
cell. (High solute; Low water)

shrinks

Result: Water moves out of the cell into the solution:

Cell shrivels!
 • Osmosis Animations
for isotonic,

Isotonic Solution hypertonic, and

hypotonic solutions

Isotonic: The concentration of solutes in the solution is

equal to the concentration of solutes inside the cell.

Result: Water moves equally in both directions and the cell

remains same size! (Dynamic Equilibrium)
In what type of solution are these cells?

A B C

Hypertonic Isotonic Hypotonic

 • Paramecium (protist
How Organisms Deal with ) removing excess w
ater video

Osmotic Pressure
• Bacteria and plants have cell walls that prevent them
from over-expanding. In plants the pressure exerted on
the cell wall is called turgor pressure.
• A protist like the paramecium has contractile vacuoles
that collect water flowing in and pump it out to prevent
them from over-expanding.
• Salt water fish pump salt out of their specialized gills
so they do not dehydrate.
• Animal cells are bathed in blood. Kidneys keep the
blood isotonic by remove excess salt and water.
 Active Transport
• Requires the cell to use energy
• Actively moves molecules to where they are
needed
• Molecules move against the concentration
gradient - from an area of low concentration
to an area of high concentration
• (Low  High)
• Three Types:
 Sodium Potassium

Types of Active Transport

Pumps
(Active Transport
using proteins)

1. Protein Pumps
-transport proteins that
require energy to do work
• Example: Sodium /
Potassium Pumps are
important in nerve
responses. Protein changes
shape to move
molecules: this
requires energy!
 Types of Active Transport
• 2. Endocytosis: taking bulky
material into a cell by forming
a vesicle
• Uses energy
• Cell membrane in-folds
around food particle
• “cell eating”
• forms food vacuole &
digests food
• This is how white blood
cells eat bacteria!
 Types of Active Transport

3. Exocytosis: Forces material Endocytosis & E

xocytosis
out of cell in bulk animations

• Membrane surrounding the

material fuses with cell
membrane
• Cell changes shape –
requires energy
• Ex: Hormones or wastes
released from cell