Transport Mechanisms in Cells to

it’s Functions.
Lora Faye Vergara
Judy Ann Valiente
Gen Bio
11- Darwin
 Moving things in and out of the cell is an
important role of the cell/plasma
membrane. It controls everything that
enters and leaves the cell.
For the cell to maintain its internal order
irrespective of the changes to the
environment, the cell undergo into Selective
Permeability.
What is Selective Permeability?
Selective Permeability is a property of cellular
membranes that only allows certain molecules to enter or
exit the cell.

Molecular View of the Cell

Membrane;
 The cell membrane is selectively permeable. It is made
of a phospholipid bilayer, along with other various lipids,
proteins, and carbohydrates.

Themain
components of the
plasma membrane
are lipids such as;
• Phospholipid
• Proteins
• Cholesterols
• Carbohydrates
Phospholipids
Each phospholipid is amphipathic, with two hydrophobic
tails and a hydrophilic head. The hydrophobic tails face inward
towards one another, and the hydrophilic heads face outwards.

• hydrophobic, or
“water-fearing”
• hydrophilic, or
“water-loving
Proteins
Proteins are the second major component of plasma
membranes. There are two main categories of membrane
proteins: integral and peripheral.
• Integral membrane proteins are integrated into
the membrane: they have at least one
hydrophobic region that anchors them to the
hydrophobic core of the phospholipid bilayer.
• Peripheral membrane proteins are found on
the outside and inside surfaces of membranes,
attached either to integral proteins or to
phospholipids.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, another type of lipid that is embedded among the
phospholipids of the membrane, helps to minimize the effects of
temperature on fluidity.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the third major component of plasma
membranes. In general, they are found on the outside surface of
cells and are bound either to proteins (forming glycoproteins) or
to lipids (forming glycolipids).
The Transport
Mechanisms
1. Diffusion
Diffusion is the process of movement of molecules where
molecules move from a region of higher concentration to a
region of lower concentration until the concentration becomes
equal.
2. Osmosis
Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules through a
membrane from an area with higher concentration of water
molecules to an area with lower concentration of water
molecules to equalize the concentration of the two sides.
A solution is composed of
the solute (a substance to be dissolved) and
the solvent (the component that dissolves the
solutes). The concentrations of the solute and
solvent will determine if a solution
is isotonic , hypotonic, or hypertonic. 
Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic solutions
• Isotonic
An isotonic solution is a solution where the amount of solutes
is basically the same as the number of solutes of another solution.
• Hypotonic
A hypotonic solution is a solution that has lower or fewer
solutes than another solution to which it is compared.
• Hypertonic
A hypertonic solution is a solution that appears to be the
opposite of a hypotonic solution. A hypertonic solution will have
more solutes and less water than the other solution.
example diagram: • The cell in hypotonic
solution resulted in the efflux of
water leaving the cell to shrink.
• In an isotonic solution, the cell
apparently remains the same
since the amount of water
molecules leaving the cell is
about the same as the amount of
water entering the cell.
• In a hypotonic solution, the cell
The movement of ions in the cells is usually called
flux: 
swelled from the influx of water.
• Influx - the inward movement into the cell
• Efflux -the outward movement into the cell.
3.
2. Facilitated
Osmosis Transport (Passive Transport/Diffusion)
Facilitated diffusion is a passive movement of molecules
across the cell membrane from the region of higher concentration
to the region of lower concentration of molecules

-Assists with the movement of large molecules like glucose.

-Occurs when materials are passively transported across the
membrane using transport proteins.
-Passive movement of a substance into or out of the cell by means of
carrier proteins and channel proteins.
TWO WAYS OF TRANSPORT PROTEINS
1. Channel Proteins - tunnel
shape that transports small
charged molecules.
2. Carrier Proteins - transport
noncharged molecules with a
specific shape.
4. Active Transport
- The process of moving substances against their
concentration gradients
- Requires energy.
 Active transport proteins may be uniports,
symports, or antiports.
- Uniport transports one
substance in one direction.
- Symport transports two
different substances in the same
direction.
- Antiport transports two
different substances in opposite
Differences of
Uniport,
Symport, and
Antiport;

The Transport
Mechanisms
Primary and Secondary Active Transport

• Primary Active Transport - Primary active transport, also

called direct active transport, directly uses chemical energy
(such as from adenosine triphosphate or ATP in case of cell
membrane) to transport all species of solutes across a
membrane against their concentration gradient.
Primary and Secondary Active Transport

Secondary Active Transport - Secondary Active transport is

the transport of a solute in the direction of its increasing
electrochemical potential coupled to the facilitated diffusion of
a second solute (usually an ion) in the direction of its
decreasing electrochemical potential.
Example: Differences:
5. Bulk Transport
-The movement of macromolecules such as proteins or
polysaccharides into or out of the cell.
a. Endocytosis - The cell
membrane folds inward,
traps and encloses a small
amount of matter from
the extracellular fluid.
b. Exocytosis- The reverse
of endocytosis: A vesicle
from inside the cell moves
to the cell membrane. The
vesicle fuses to the
membrane and the contents
are secreted.
Difference between Endocytosis and Exocytosis
Endocytosis Exocytosis

Definition The process of taking a particle or The process of taking a substance

substance from outside of the cell or particle from inside of the cell
and transferring it inside the cell and transferring it to outside the
using a vesicle.  cell using a vesicle.
Function Absorbing nutrients for cellular Removing toxins or waste
function products
Eliminating pathogens Repairing the cell membrane
Disposing of old/damaged cells Facilitating communication
between cells.
Types Phagocytosis Regulated exocytosis
Pinocytosis Constitutive exocytosis

Examples White blood cells engulfing a virus Releasing a neurotransmitter for

and eliminating it. cellular communication.
3 Types of Endocytosis

1. Pinocytosis- The intake of a small droplet of extracellular

fluid. This occurs in nearly all cell types.

2. Phagocytosis- The intake of a large droplet of

extracellular fluid. This occurs in specialized cells.
3 Types of Endocytosis

3. Receptor-assisted endocytosis- The intake of specific

molecules that attach to special proteins in the cell
membrane. These proteins are uniquely shaped to fit the shape
of a specific molecule.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!!!
