TRANSPORT ACROSS THE PLASMA

MEMBRANE
 Transport Across the Plasma Membrane
One of the most important functions of the 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 could be passive or active.
Diffusion and Facilitated Diffusion

1. Passive Transport

Osmosis

2. Active Transport: Active Transport(Na+/ K+ pump)

1. Passive Transport(No expenditure of Energy)

• When the molecules move across the membrane without

any use of energy is called Passive Transport.
• It is of the following types:
• Diffusion: It is a process in which molecules move from Carrier
Channel
their higher concentration to their lower concentration. In protein protein
other word, the molecules move along the concentration
gradient
• 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 molecules(both channel protein
and carrier protein) is called facilitated diffusion. Thus
also takes place along the concentration gradient.
• Osmosis: The movement of water molecules through the
selectively permeable plasma membrane is called Osmosis.
 FACILITATED DIFFUSION
• Facilitated diffusion is
the passive movement of
molecules across the cell
membrane via the aid of
a membrane protein
• It is utilised by molecules that are
unable to freely cross the
phospholipid bilayer (e.g. large,
polar molecules and ions) 

• This process is mediated by two

distinct types of transport proteins
– channel proteins and carrier
proteins
 Active Transport(an energy dependent
process)
1. Transport of molecules by
using energy in the form of
ATP(adenosine
triphosphate).
2. The molecules or ions are
transported against the
concentration gradient i.e.
from their lower
concentration to their higher
concentration.
3. eg., Na+/K+ pump
 3. Facilitated Diffusion
• 1. Diffusion of substances with the help of special proteins present in the
cell membranes
• 2. It takes place without the expenditure of ATP.
• 3. The membrane proteins acts as the facilitated molecules and provide site
at which molecules cross the membrane.
• 4.There should be a concentration gradient for facilitated diffusion to take
place.
• 5. There is no expenditure of energy because the movement of the
molecules take place down the concentration gradient. i.e. from their
higher concentration to their lower concentration.
• 5. It is used mainly to transport hydrophilic molecules across the cell
membranes.
 Factors on which the Facilitated Diffusion depends on:

(i) Size of the substance: Smaller substances diffuse faster.

(ii) Solubility of the substances in lipids: Since lipids are the major
constituents of cell membranes, therefore the substances that are soluble
in lipids diffuse through the membrane faster.
Hydrophilic substances such as sugar, salt, starch, and cellulose that
have an affinity for water(capable of interacting with water through

hydrogen bonding) finds it difficult to pass through the membrane which

has hydrophobic bilipid layer. The movement of these hydrophilic
substances has to be facilitated by membrane proteins(channel and
carrier proteins present in the plasma membrane)
2. Important Facts about Facilitated Diffusion
Facilitated Diffusion cannot take place against the concentration
gradient i.e. It cannot take place from low concentration to high
concentration of molecules.
(a) Transport rate become maximum when all the protein molecule
transporters are used. That is when saturation occurs.
(b) Facilitated diffusion is very specific. It allows the cells to select specific

substances only for uptake.

(c) It is sensitive to inhibitors. The inhibitors react with the protein side
chains and make the protein carriers inactive.
Transfer of ions like calcium and potassium, transport of amino acids
and glucose from the blood to the cell are some examples of facilitated
diffusion.
3. Transport of molecules in facilitated diffusion

(i) The membrane proteins form channels in the membrane for

molecules to pass through.
(ii)The channels are of various types. Some remains open
always, while others are controlled and open at specific
times. Also, some of these channels are large enough to allow
a variety of molecules to pass through.
(iii)The extracellular molecule gets attached to the transport
membrane protein, which then rotates and releases the
molecules inside the cells.
4. Porins and Aquaporins in Facilitated
Diffusion

Porins: Porins are proteins that form

huge pores in the outer membranes of
plastids, mitochondria and some
bacteria allowing molecules up to the
size of small proteins to pass through.
Aquaporins: Aquaporins are transport
proteins that are present in the cell
membrane. They pick up a molecule
from outside , then rotate and release the
molecule inside the cell. The water
channels in membranes are made up of
8 types of aquaporins.
5. Symport, Antiport and Uniport
Some carrier or transport proteins allow
diffusion only if two types of molecules
move together. Then the movement of
molecules could be of three types:
1. Symport: It refers to the movement of
both molecules crossing the membrane
in the same direction.
2. Antiport: When the molecules move
in the opposite direction, it is called
antiport.
3. Uniport: When a molecule moves
All channel proteins are the examples of uniports, and
across a membrane independent of Na/glucose co-transport is an example of a symport, while
Sodium-calcium exchanger in the membranes of
other molecules, it is called uniport. cardiac muscle cells.
• https://youtu.be/J5pWH1r3pgU