Transport across the

Cell Membrane
(Transport Mechanisms)
Prepared by: Ms. Angelica A. Azores
The Plasma Membrane

Gateway to the Cell

Photograph of a Cell Membrane
Cell Membrane
4

The cell membrane

is flexible and
allows a unicellular
organism to move.
 Homeostasis
 Balanced internal condition of cells
 Also called equilibrium
 Maintained by plasma membrane
controlling what enters & leaves the
cell
Functions of Plasma
Membrane
ü Protective barrier
ü Regulate transport in & out of cell
(selectively permeable)
ü Allow cell recognition
ü Provide anchoring sites for filaments
of cytoskeleton
ü Maintains homeostasis of cell
Functions of Plasma Membrane
ü Provide a binding site for enzymes
ü Interlocking surfaces bind cells together
(junctions)
üContains the cytoplasm (fluid in cell)
ü
Structure of the Cell Membrane
 Membrane Components

Phospholipids Proteins
Cholesterol (peripheral and integral)
Carbohydrates (glucose)
Phospholipids
Make up the cell
membrane
Contains 2 fatty
acid chains that
are nonpolar
Head is polar &
contains a –PO4
group & glycerol
 FLUID MOSAIC MODEL

FLUID- because individual phospholipids and proteins can

move side-to-side within the layer, like it’s a liquid.
MOSAIC- because of the pattern produced by the scattered
protein molecules when the membrane is viewed from above.
Cell Membrane

Polar heads are hydrophilic “water loving”

Nonpolar tails are hydrophobic “water fearing”
Makes membrane “Selective” in what crosses
Cell Membrane

The cell membrane is Hydrophobic

made of 2 layers of molecules pass easily;
phospholipids called the hydrophilic DO NOT
lipid bilayer
Solubility
 Materials that are
soluble in lipids
can pass through
the cell
membrane easily.
Semipermeable Membrane

Small molecules and larger hydrophobic

molecules move through easily.
e.g. O2, CO2, H2O
Semipermeable
Membrane

Ions, hydrophilic molecules larger than

water, and large molecules such as proteins
do not move through the membrane on their
 Types of Transport
Across Cell
3 types: active transport, passive transport,
Membranes
and bulk transport
Passive Transport
A process that does not require energy to move
molecules from a HIGH to LOW concentration

Ø Diffusion
Ø
Ø Facilitated Diffusion
•Diffusion is the movement of small particles
across a selectively permeable membrane
like the cell membrane until equilibrium is
reached.
These particles move from an area of high
concentration to an area of low
concentration. outside of cell

inside of cell
 Diffusionis movement of solute molecules from high
concentration to low concentration
 1. Passive
Transport
There are two types of diffusion


1. Simple Diffusion
2. Facilitated Diffusion
1. Passive
Transport
1. Simple Diffusion
2.

• Substances pass directly through the

cell membrane
• The cell membrane has limited
permeability to small polar molecules,
water, and ions
• The motion of water across the
membrane is known as osmosis
 DIFFUSION

HIGH to LOW concentration

• Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a
selectively permeable membrane like the cell
membrane
Water diffuses across a membrane from an area of
high concentration to an area of low
concentration.

Semi-permeable
membrane is
permeable to water,
but not to sugar
 Passive Transport

Osmosis
 Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of
high to low concentration of water


- movement of water toward an area of high solute

concentration
- in osmosis, only water is able to pass through the
membrane
- Osmosis moves water through aquaporins
 Osmosis
 Osmoticconcentration is determined by the
concentration of all solutes in solution


 Relative Osmotic Concentrations



• Hypertonic solutions: have a higher relative

solute concentration
• Hypotonic solutions: have a lower relative
solute concentration
• Isotonic Solutions: have equal relative solute
concentrations
 1. Passive
Transport
2. Facilitated Diffusion
3.

• Substances must pass through

transported proteins to get through
the cell membrane
• The cell membrane is selectively
permeable
• Facilitated Diffusion is the movement of larger molecules
like glucose through the cell membrane – larger molecules
must be “helped”
•

Proteins in the cell membrane form channels for large

molecules to pass through
Proteins that form channels (pores) are called protein
channels
Glucose molecules
outside of cell

inside of cell
 Facilitated Diffusion
 Selective permeability: integral membrane proteins allow
the cell to be selective about what passes through the
membrane.
- Channel proteins have a polar interior allowing polar
molecules to pass through.
- Carrier proteins bind to a specific molecule to
facilitate its passage.
 Channel Proteins
 Channel proteins include:
- ion channels allow the passage of ions (charged
atoms or molecules) which are associated with water
- gated channels are opened or closed in response
to a stimulus
– the stimulus may be chemical or electrical
ion channels
 Channel Proteins
 Ion channels allow the passage of ions (charged
atoms or molecules) across the membrane
 A concentration gradient of ions across the
membrane creates a membrane potential
- a membrane potential is a charge difference
between the two sides of the membrane
 ion channels
+
+ +
+ +
+ + +

+
+
 Carrier Proteins
 Carrierproteins bind to a specific molecule to
facilitate its passage.
Hypertonic Solutions: contain a high concentration of solute
relative to another solution (e.g. the cell's cytoplasm).
When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the water
diffuses out of the cell, causing the cell to shrivel.

Hypotonic Solutions: contain a low concentration of solute

relative to another solution (e.g. the cell's cytoplasm).
When a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, the water
diffuses into the cell, causing the cell to swell and
possibly explode.

Isotonic Solutions: contain the same concentration of solute

as another solution (e.g. the cell's cytoplasm). When a cell
is placed in an isotonic solution, the water diffuses into
and out of the cell at the same rate. The fluid that
surrounds the body cells is isotonic.
 Organisms can maintain osmotic balance in different
ways:

1. Some cells use extrusion in which water is
ejected through contractile vacuoles.

2. Isosmotic regulation involves keeping cells

isotonic with their environment.

3. Plant cells use turgor pressure to push the

cell membrane against the cell wall and keep the
cell rigid.
B. Active Transport
Active transport is the movement of molecules from LOW to HIGH
concentration.
Energy is required as molecules must be pumped against the
concentration gradient.
Proteins that work as pumps are called protein pumps.
Ex: Body cells must pump carbon dioxide out into the surrounding
blood vessels to be carried to the lungs for exhale. Blood vessels
are high in carbon dioxide compared to the cells, so energy is
required to move the carbon dioxide across the cell membrane from
LOW to HIGH concentration.
outside of cell Carbon Dioxide molecules

inside of cell
ANALOGY:

ENERGY NEEDED:
Active Transport

NO ENERGY NEEDED:
Diffusion
Osmosis
Facilitated Diffusion
 2. Active Transport
Active transport
 Requires energy – ATP is used directly or
indirectly to fuel active transport
 Able to moves substances against the concentration
gradient - from low to high concentration
- allows cells to store concentrated substances
 Requires the use of carrier proteins
 Active Transport
 Carrier proteins used in active transport
include:
-uniporters – move one molecule at a time
-symporters – move two molecules in the
same direction
-antiporters – move two molecules in
opposite directions
1. Solute Pumping
Sodium-potassium (Na+-K+) pump
 An active transport antiport mechanism
 Uses an antiporter to move 3 Na+ out of the
cell and 2 K+ into the cell
 ATP energy is used to change the conformation
of the carrier protein
 The affinity of the carrier protein for either
Na+ or K+ changes so the ions can be carried
across the membrane
Active Transport
Sodium-potassium (Na+-K+) pump
 Used by animal cells to maintain a high internal
concentration of K+ ions and a low internal
concentration of Na+ ions
 Maintains a concentration gradient that is used to
power many other important physiological process
Active Transport
Coupled transport
 Uses the energy released when a molecule moves by
diffusion to supply energy to active transport of a
different molecule
 A symporter is used
 Glucose-Na+ symporter captures the energy from
Na+ diffusion to move glucose against a
concentration gradient
 2. Bulk Transport
 Bulk transport of substances is accomplished
by:
1. Endocytosis – movement of substances into
the cell
2. Exocytosis – movement of materials out of
the cell
Ex: White Blood Cells, which are part of the immune
system, surround and engulf bacteria by
endocytosis.
 Bulk Transport
 Endocytosis occurs when the plasma membrane envelops
food particles and liquids.

1. phagocytosis – the cell takes in particulate
matter
2. pinocytosis – the cell takes in only fluid
3. receptor-mediated endocytosis – specific molecules
are taken in after they bind to a receptor
 Bulk Transport
 Exocytosis occurs when material is discharged from
the cell.
• Vesicles in the cytoplasm fuse with the cell
membrane and release their contents to the
exterior of the cell
• Used in plants to export cell wall material
• Used in animals to secrete hormones,
neurotransmitters, digestive enzymes
Let’s Try and Think! 
1. What did you learn today?
2. How do you relate the Cell Transport to
real life situation? Make an analogy.