Factors affecting diffusion

• Steepness of the concentration gradient

• Greater the difference in concentration
• Higher the rate of diffusion
• Steepness of the electrochemical gradient
• Determines the diffusion rate across the
membrane
• Temperature
• Higher the temperature, the faster the rate of
diffusion
• Mass of the diffusing substance
• Larger the mass of the diffusing particle
• Slower its diffusion rate
• Smaller molecules diffuse more rapidly
• Permeability of the Cell Membrane
• Rate of diffusion is directly proportional to
membrane permeability
• Cell membrane is selectively permeable
• Solubility of the Substance
• Diffusion rate is directly proportional to the
solubility of substances
• Lipid-soluble substances easily
• Thickness of the Cell Membrane
• Rate of diffusion is inversely proportional to the
thickness of the cell membrane
• Increase thickness decrease slow down the
diffusion
• Size of the Molecules
• Rate of diffusion is inversely proportional to the
size of the molecules
• Smaller molecules diffuse rapidly than the
substances with larger molecules
• Surface area
• The larger the surface area available for diffusion
• Faster the diffusion rate
• Air sacs of the lungs have a large surface area
available
• Emphysema
• Diffusion distance
• Greater the distance over which diffusion occur
• The longer it takes
• Diffusion across a plasma membrane takes only a
fraction of a second
• In pneumonia fluid collects in the lungs
Special types of passive transport

• Special types of passive transport

• Bulk flow
• Filtration
• Osmosis
Bulk Flow
• Large quantity of substances from a region
of high pressure to the region of low
pressure
• Due to pressure gradient of substance
across the membrane
• Exchange of gases across the respiratory
in lungs
• Based on partial pressure of gases
Filtration
• Movement of water and solutes from an
area of high hydrostatic pressure to an area
of low hydrostatic pressure
• Hydrostatic pressure is developed by the
weight of the fluid
• Filtration process occur in
• Capillaries
• Glomeruli of kidneys
Osmosis
• Movement of water or solvent from an area of
low to high concentration of a solute through
a semi permeable membrane
• Semi permeable membrane permits the
passage of solvents but not the solutes
• Osmosis can occur when solute concentration
across the membrane is different
• Osmosis depends upon osmotic pressure
• Hydrostatic pressure
• Pressure exerted by liquid forces water
molecules to move back
Types of Osmosis
• Osmosis across the cell membrane is of two types:
• Endosmosis:
• Movement of water into the cell
• Exosmosis:
• Movement of water out of the cell
Active transport
• Movement of substances against
• Chemical
• Electrical
• Electrochemical gradient
• Also called uphill transport
• Require energy obtained by breakdown of
ATP
Carrier proteins of active transport

• Carrier proteins involved in active transport

are of two types:
• Uniport
• Symport or Antiport
• Uniport or Uniport pump:
• Carrier protein that carries only one substance in a single
direction
• Symport or Antiport:
• Carrier protein that transports two substances at a time
• Symport:
• Carrier protein transports two different substances in the
same direction
• Antiport:
• Carrier protein that transports two different substances in
opposite directions
Mechanism of active transport

• Substance to be transported
• Combines with the carrier protein
• Forms substance-protein complex
• Complex moves towards the inner surface
• Substance is released from the carrier
proteins
• Carrier protein moves back to the outer
surface
Substances transported by active transport
• Substances transported actively include
• Ionic and non-ionic form
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Calcium, hydrogen
• Chloride & iodide
• Substances in non-ionic form
• Glucose, amino acids and urea.
Primary Active Transport
• Substance transported from region of low
concentration to an area of high
concentration
• With the use of energy
• Primary active transport is energy
dependent
• Energy is liberated directly from breakdown
of ATP
• Na+-K+ ATPase pump or Na+-K+ ATPase
• H+ Pump
Secondary Active Transport
• Secondary active transport is the transport of a
substance
• with sodium ion
• Using common carrier protein
• Along with sodium carrier protein transport
another substance also
• Glucose
• Amino Acid
Special Types Of Active Transport
• It special type of active transport
• Also called as vesicular transport
• Special categories of active transport:
• 1. Endocytosis
• 2. Exocytosis
• 3. Transcytosis
ENDOCYTOSIS
• Transport mechanism by which the
macromolecules enter the cell
• Macromolecules cannot pass through the
cell membrane either by active or by passive
• Transported into the cell by endocytosis
• Endocytosis is of three types:
• Pinocytosis
• Phagocytosis
• Receptor-mediated endocytosis
Pinocytosis
• Molecules like bacteria and antigens are taken
into the cells, cell drinking
• Pinocytosis involves following events:
• Macromolecules in the form of droplets of
fluid
• i. Binding of molecule to outer surface of the
cell membrane
• ii. Envagination of cell membrane around the
droplets
• iii. Droplets are engulfed by the membrane
• Engulfed droplets are converted into vesicles and
vacuoles i.e endosomes
• Endosome travels into the interior of the cell
• Primary lysosome fuses with endosome
• Formation of secondary lysosome
• Vii. Hydrolytic enzymes present in the secondary
lysosome are activated
• Resulting in digestion and degradation of the
endosomal contents
Phagocytosis
• Process by which particles larger than the
macromolecules are engulfed
• It is also called cell eating
• Use for larger bacteria, larger antigens & larger
foreign
• Occur in only few cell
• Neutrophils
• Monocytes
• Tissue macrophages
Mechanism of phagocytosis
• i. Attachment of partical to cell surface
• Cytoplasmic extension (pseudopodium) around
bacteria or
• foreign body
• ii. Engulfed partical are converted into endosome
like vacuole
• Such a lare vacuole is called phagosome
• iii. Phagosome travels into the interior of cell
• iv. Primary lysosome fuses with this phagosome
and forms secondary lysosome
• v. Hydrolytic enzymes present in the secondary
lysosome are activated
• Digestion and degradation of the phagosomal
contents