11/18/22, 1:32 PM Transport Across Cell Membrane

Transport Across Cell

Membrane
Cell membranes surround each cell and some organelles, such as the nucleus and
the Golgi body.  They are comprised of a phospholipid bilayer and this acts as a
  semipermeable barrier  that regulates what enters and exits the cell or
organelle. This is highly important as this is how cells can obtain molecules such as
oxygen and remove waste products like urea. 

There are two main ways in which molecules are transported across the cell
membrane:

Passive transport 
Active transport

The main difference between these modes of transport is that active transport
requires energy in the form of ATP, but passive transport does not. 

What are the passive transport methods? 

Passive transport refers to transport across the cell membrane that does not require
energy from metabolic processes. Instead, this form of transport relies on the natural
 kinetic energy  of molecules and their  random movement  . There are three modes
of passive transport:

Simple diffusion

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Facilitated diffusion
Osmosis

Simple diffusion

Simple diffusion is the movement of molecules from a region of high concentration

to a region of low concentration until an equilibrium is reached. 

Example

Oxygen can freely diffuse through the cell membrane using this form of passive
transport.

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11/18/22, 1:32 PM Transport Across Cell Membrane

Simple 
diffusion

Facilitated diffusion

Facilitated diffusion is the same as simple diffusion but this form of transport
uses  membrane proteins, such as channel proteins and carrier proteins.  Channel

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proteins provide a hydrophilic channel for the passage of charged and polar
molecules, like ions. Meanwhile, carrier proteins change their conformational shape
for the transport of molecules. 

Example

Glucose is an example of a molecule that is transported across the cell

membrane through facilitated diffusion.

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11/18/22, 1:32 PM Transport Across Cell Membrane

Facilitated 
diffusion

Osmosis

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Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a region of high water potential
to a region of lower water potential through a semipermeable membrane. This form
of transport looks very different between plant and animal cells as plant cells have
  cell walls  surrounding each cell.  Cell walls allow plant cells to withstand water
flowing in. However, animal cells are more prone to cell bursting as they do not have
this added support.

The rate of osmosis can be increased if   aquaporins  are present in the cell
membrane.  Aquaporins are membrane proteins that selectively transport water
molecules. 

Example

The uptake of water by plant root hair cells is dependent on this form of passive
transport.  

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The diagram shows the movement of molecules through the cell membrane during 
osmosis

What are the active transport methods? 

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Active transport is the transport of molecules across the cell membrane using carrier
proteins and energy from metabolic processes in the form of   ATP. Carrier proteins
are membrane proteins that allow the passage of specific molecules across the cell
membrane.  They are used in both facilitated diffusion and active transport.  Carrier
proteins use ATP to change their conformational shape in active transport, allowing
a bound molecule to pass through the membrane. In facilitated diffusion, however,
ATP is not needed to change the shape of the carrier protein. 

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11/18/22, 1:32 PM Transport Across Cell Membrane

The diagram shows the movement of molecules in 

active transport

Example

A process that relies on active transport is the uptake of mineral ions in plant
root hair cells. The type of carrier proteins involved is specific for mineral ions.

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There are different modes of active transport, such as cotransport and bulk
transport.

Transport Across Cell

Membrane - Key takeaways
The cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer that surrounds each cell and
some organelles. It regulates what enters and exits the cell and organelles. 
Passive transport does not require energy in the form of ATP. Passive
transport relies on the natural kinetic energy and random movement of
molecules. 
Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis are the forms of passive
transport.
Active transport across the cell membrane requires carrier proteins and
energy in the form of ATP.
There are different types of active transport, such as cotransport and bulk
transport.

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