Topic 3: Movement in and out of cells

3.1 Diffusion
It is the net movement of molecules and ions from a region of their higher concentration to a
region of their lower concentration down a concentration gradient, as a result of their random
movement.

One effect of diffusion is that the molecules of a gas, a liquid or a dissolved substance will
move from a region where there are a lot of them (i.e. concentrated) to regions where there
are few of them (i.e. less concentrated) until the concentration everywhere is the same.
Figure (a) is a diagram of a cell with a high concentration of molecules (e.g. oxygen) outside
and a low concentration inside. The effect of this difference in concentration is to make the
molecules diffuse into the cell until the concentration inside and outside is the same, as
shown in Figure (b).
3.2 Osmosis
It the net movement of water molecules from a region of higher water
potential (dilute solution) to a region of lower water potential
(concentrated solution), through a partially permeable membrane.

 The intake of water by osmosis

Water will always tend to enter plant (root) cells by osmosis, since soil
water will always be likely to have a higher water potential than cell sap.
As the vacuole thus increases in volume, it increasingly presses the
cytoplasmic lining of the cell against the flexible, box-like cell wall.
(This pressure is called turgor pressure and it gives plant cells a firmness
called turgidity.)
The effect of osmosis on plant cells

1. When placed in an isotonic solution

An isotonic solution is one which has the same concentration as that of
the cell’s cytoplasm therefore there is no net movement of water inside or
out of the cell.
The cell stays the same.

Draw a typical plant cell.

2. When placed in a hypotonic solution
A hypotonic solution is one which has a higher water potential than that
of the cell’s cytoplasm so therefore water moves inside the cell by
osmosis.
The vacuole will expand and press outwards on the cytoplasm and cell
wall. The cell wall cannot be stretched. The pressure caused by the
expanding vacuole is known as turgor pressure.
The cell becomes turgid.
3. When placed in a hypertonic solution
A hypertonic solution is one which has a lower water potential than that
of the cell’s cytoplasm so therefore water moves out of the cell by
osmosis.
The vacuole shrinks and so does the cell.
The cell becomes flaccid.
Flaccid cell
Further movement of water out of the cell causes the vacuole to shrink
further, pulling the cytoplasm away from the cell wall.
The cell is now plasmolysed and this process is known as plasmolysis.
Plasmolysed cell
The effect of osmosis on animal cells

1. When placed in an isotonic solution

There is no net movement of water inside or out of the cell.
The cell stays the same.

Draw a typical animal cell and a red blood cell

2. When placed in a hypotonic solution
Water enters the cell by osmosis. As more water enters the cell, the cell starts
to swell up. The cell membrane stretch as the cell gets bigger, until eventually
the strain is too much, and the cell bursts. This is known as lysis.

Why does the cell burst?

• Red blood cells in hypotonic solution.
The red blood cell will burst and this is known haemolysis.
3. When placed in a hypertonic solution
Water leaves the cell by osmosis. As more water leaves the cell, the cell starts
to shrink and becomes shriveled.
• Red blood cells in hypertonic solution.
The red blood cell will shrink and this is known crenation.
 Importance of Osmosis in Tissues
• When water moves into a plant cell, the vacuole gets bigger, pushing the cell
membrane against the cell wall

• Water entering the cell by osmosis makes the cell rigid and firm

• This is important for plants as the effect of all the cells in a plant being firm is to
provide support and strength for the plant – making the plant stand upright with its
leaves held out to catch sunlight

• The pressure created by the cell wall stops too much water entering and prevents the
cell from bursting

• If plants do not receive enough water the cells cannot remain rigid and firm (turgid)
and the plant wilts
 Osmosis in Tissues
In plant tissues

• Plant cells that are turgid are full of water and contain a high turgor pressure (the pressure of the
cytoplasm pushing against the cell wall)

• This pressure prevents any more water entering the cell by osmosis, even if it is in a solution that has a
higher water potential than inside the cytoplasm of the cells

• This prevents the plant cells from taking in too much water and bursting

• Plant roots are surrounded by soil water and the cytoplasm of root cells has a lower water potential
than the soil water

• This means water will move across the cell membrane of root hair cells into the root by osmosis

• The water moves across the root from cell to cell by osmosis until it reaches the xylem

• Once they enter the xylem they are transported away from the root by the transpiration stream,
helping to maintain a concentration gradient between the root cells and the xylem vessels
In animal tissues

• Animal cells also lose and gain water as a result of osmosis

• As animal cells do not have a supporting cell wall, the results on the cell are more
severe

• If an animal cell is placed into a strong sugar solution (with a lower water potential
than the cell), it will lose water by osmosis and become crenated (shrivelled up)

• If an animal cell is placed into distilled water (with a higher water potential than the
cell), it will gain water by osmosis and, as it has no cell wall to create turgor
pressure, will continue to do so until the cell membrane is stretched too far and it
bursts
 Osmosis Experiments

• The most common osmosis practical involves cutting cylinders of potato and placing them into distilled
water and sucrose solutions of increasing concentration

• The potato cylinders are weighed before placing into the solutions

• They are left in the solutions for 20 – 30 minutes and then removed, dried to remove excess liquid and
reweighed

• The potato cylinder in the distilled water will have increased its mass the most as there is a greater
concentration gradient in this tube between the distilled water (high water potential) and the potato cells
(lower water potential)

• This means more water molecules will move into the potato cells by osmosis, pushing the cell membrane
against the cell wall and so increasing the turgor pressure in the cells which makes them turgid – the
potato cylinders will feel hard
• The potato cylinder in the strongest sucrose concentration will have decreased its
mass the most as there is a greater concentration gradient in this tube between the
potato cells (higher water potential) and the sucrose solution (lower water potential)

• This means more water molecules will move out of the potato cells by osmosis,
making them flaccid and decreasing the mass of the cylinder – the potato cylinders will
feel floppy

• If looked at underneath the microscope, cells from this potato cylinder might be
plasmolysed, meaning the cell membrane has pulled away from the cell wall
• If there is a potato cylinder that has not increased or decreased in mass, it means
there was no overall net movement of water into or out of the potato cells

• This is because the solution that cylinder was in was the same concentration as the
solution found in the cytoplasm of the potato cells, so there was no concentration
gradient
3.3 Active transport

The movement of particles through a cell membrane from a region of lower

concentration to a region of higher concentration using energy from respiration.

Energy is needed because particles are being moved against a concentration

gradient, in the opposite direction from which they would naturally move (by
diffusion)

Examples of active transport include:

- uptake of glucose by epithelial cells in the villi of the small intestine and by
kidney tubules in the nephron

- uptake of ions from soil water by root hair cells in plants

How Protein Molecules Move Particles
 Active transport works by using carrier proteins embedded in the cell membrane to
pick up specific molecules and take them through the cell membrane against their
concentration gradient:

1. Substance combines with carrier protein molecule in the cell membrane

2. Carrier transports substances across membrane using energy from respiration to
give them the kinetic energy needed to change shape and move the substance
through the cell membrane
3. Substance released into cell
 TOPIC 3: MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF CELLS MCQ

1. The diagram shows a test-tube containing clear jelly. A drop of blue ink is injected into
the middle of the jelly.

The blue colour of the ink spreads throughout the jelly.

By which process does the blue ink spread through the jelly?
A active transport B catalysis C diffusion D osmosis

2. What causes the diffusion of oxygen into a plant cell?

A active transport B movement of molecules
C osmosis D photosynthesis

3. The diagram shows a section through a leaf.

Which arrow shows the direction of diffusion of carbon dioxide on a sunny day?

1
4. A frog is an animal. A frog’s skin is permeable to oxygen and carbon dioxide.
When a frog is swimming in pond water, in which directions will there be a net diffusion of
oxygen and carbon dioxide?

5. The diagrams show examples of movement of substances in organisms.

Which process is taking place in all three examples?

A assimilation B diffusion C osmosis D translocation

6. The diagram shows an experiment on diffusion.

More sugar diffuses out of the bag than diffuses in.

What is the concentration of sugar in solution X?
A 10 % B 20 % C 30 % D 40 %

7. How do carbon dioxide and oxygen move in and out of a mesophyll cell?
A active transport B diffusion C respiration D transpiration

2
8. Which graph represents the effect of increasing temperature on the rate of diffusion?

9. The dots represent molecules of a gas in four tubes.

In which tube do more molecules move from X to Y than in the opposite direction?

3
10. Which process only involves the movement of water through the partially permeable
membrane of a cell?
A absorption B evaporation C osmosis D transpiration

11. Some red blood cells were placed in distilled water and others were placed in three salt
solutions of different concentrations.
Which diagram shows the appearance of a cell has changed after being in the distilled
water for a short time?

12. On a dry, sunny day, how does water vapour move through the stomata of a leaf?
A into the leaf by diffusion B into the leaf by osmosis
C out of the leaf by diffusion D out of the leaf by osmosis

13. Osmosis is defined as the diffusion of water molecules

A down their concentration gradient through a partially permeable membrane.
B down their concentration gradient through a permeable membrane.
C up their concentration gradient through a partially permeable membrane.
D up their concentration gradient through a permeable membrane.

14. The data show the results of an investigation on osmosis using sticks of potato.

4
 Which statements explain this change in length?

15. A red blood cell is placed in a concentrated sugar solution.

What happens and why?
A The cell bursts as sugar molecules diffuse into it.
B The cell bursts because the concentrated sugar solution enters it.
C The cell shrinks because sugar molecules leave it.
D The cell shrinks because water leaves it.

16. During osmosis, which molecules move and through which type of membrane?

17. The diagram shows an experiment using a potato.

5
 Which shows the result of the experiment after 24 hours?

18. The diagram shows the apparatus used in an experiment on osmosis.

In which tubes will osmosis take place?

A 1 and 2 B 1 and 4 C 2 and 3 D 3 and 4

19. Boiling potatoes destroys their cell membranes. A peeled, boiled potato strip is placed in
a concentrated solution of salts.

6
What takes place?

20. Which diagram

shows the changes in appearance of a plant cell when it remains in a concentrated sugar

solution for thirty minutes?

21. The diagram represents two liquids, separated by a membrane through which osmosis
can occur.

7
 Which statement describes how the molecules will move?
A Molecules of dissolved substance move from left to right.
B Molecules of dissolved substance move from right to left.
C Overall, water molecules move from left to right.
D Overall, water molecules move from right to left.

22. Protoplasts are plant cells that have had their cell walls removed.
What happens if plant protoplasts are placed in distilled water?
A They get larger and become turgid.
B They get larger and burst.
C They get smaller and become plasmolysed.
D They get smaller and shrivel up.

23. What is not an example of active transport?

A absorption of water by root hairs B reabsorption of glucose by kidney tubules
C uptake of glucose by villi D uptake of ions by root hairs

8
 TOPIC 3: MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF CELLS THEORY

Fig. 1.1 shows an animal cell.

Fig. 1.1
(a) (i) Name the features labelled A and B.
Write your answers on Fig. 1.1. [2]

(ii) The nucleus of living cells contains genetic material.

Name the chemical that this genetic material is made from.
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(b) The cell in Fig. 1.1 carries out aerobic respiration.

Name one chemical that diffuses into an animal cell and one chemical that diffuses out of
a cell during aerobic respiration.
chemical that diffuses in
...........................................................................................................
chemical that diffuses out
......................................................................................................... [2]

(c) The process of active transport occurs in some cells.

Outline one way in which diffusion is different to active transport.
..............................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................[1]

1
Fig. 5.1 shows a diagram of a cell found in leaves.

Fig. 5.1
(a) (i) State the names of structures F, G and H.
Write your answers on Fig. 5.1. [3]

(ii) On Fig. 5.1 draw:

a line labelled K to show where the chromosomes are found
a line labelled L to show the position of the cell membrane. [2]

(iii) State the name of this type of plant cell.

...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) The cell in Fig. 5.1 was placed in a concentrated glucose solution.
Fig. 5.2 shows the appearance of the cell after ten minutes in the glucose solution.

2
 Fig. 5.2
(i) State two ways in which the cell has changed.
1 ........................................................................................................................................
2........................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) Water moves into and out of the cell by osmosis.

Osmosis is a form of diffusion.
Describe the ways in which diffusion is different to active transport.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................[3]
[Total: 11]