Transport (Movement) of Materials in Cells

1. Introduction

a. The cell always requires raw materials from the environment and also needs to get rid
of some materials into the environment.
b. These materials need to be transported from outside into the cell, or from the cell into
the external environment.
i) The substances transported into the cell include oxygen and food
substances.
ii) The substances transported out of cells include all metabolic wastes.
c. The modes of transport cells use take in or take out materials are;
i) Diffusion
ii) Osmosis
iii) Active transport

2. Diffusion

a. The movement of molecules of a substance from a region of their high concentration

to the region of their low concentration is called diffusion
b. This process allows cells to absorb nutrients e.g. mineral salts and gases like carbon
dioxide and oxygen.
c. Diffusion also allows cells to get rid of waste products of metabolism e.g. urea in
animals.
d. Factors that affect the rate of diffusion
i) Concentration gradient
 The higher the concentration gradient, the higher the rate of
diffusion.
ii) Temperature
 Diffusion rate increases with temperature. This is due to the fact
that the kinetic energy of molecules also increases with rise in
temperature.
iii) Size of the diffusing particles
 Smaller particles diffuse much faster than the large ones.
e. The diagram showing diffusion

3. Osmosis

a. This is the movement of water molecules from a region of their high concentration to
a region of their low concentration, through a partially permeable membrane
b. Osmosis is bestly regarded as the a form of diffusion in which only water molecules
move
c. in osmosis the partially permeable membrane allows water molecules to pass through
but stops the larger solute molecules from passing through it.
d. Cell membranes are always selectively permeable, and this means the process by
which water enters a cell is osmosis.
e. Diagram showing osmosis

f. Water potential
i) Solution A has the lower concentration than solution B; therefore,
there will be a net flow of water molecules from solution B to
solution A.
ii) The net flow of water from solution B to solution A will continue
until the concentration of water in solution A equals that in solution
B. At this point, the two solutions are said to be at equilibrium.
iii) At equilibrium, there is no net flow of water molecules between the
two solutions.
iv) The tendency of water molecules to move from one solution to
another is called water potential
v) When two solutions are separated by a selectively permeable
membrane as in the diagram above, water molecules will always
move from a solution of higher water potential to that of lower water
potential
vi)
vii) Whenever solute molecules are added to a solution, the water
potential of the solution is lowered.
viii) Osmosis can also be defined as the diffusion of water molecules from
a solution of high water potential to a of solution lower water
potential across a selectively permeable membrane.
g. Exosmosis and endosmosis

i) Exosmosis
 Is the kind of osmosis in which water diffused into a cell
across a selectively permeable membrane
 Occurs when external solution is of a lower water
potential than the cellular solution
 Causes cells to become flaccid and shrink
 Results in crenation in animal cells, and plasmolysis in
plant cells, due to excessive loss of water
 ii) Endosmosis
 Water diffuses into cell by osmosis
 Results in the cell bulging, and becoming turgid,
as it accumulates water.
 Occurs when cellular solution is more
concentrated than external solution
 Causes bursting in animal cells, since they have
no cell membranes.

3.1 Effects of endosmosis to cells

a. In plant cells, endosmosis makes plant cells absorb water to their fullest extent and become
turgid fully turgid.
- If a plant cell is placed in distilled water, water enters the cell by endosmosis
causing the cell to expand as turgor pressure in creases in the vacuole.
- Plant cells do not burst as a result of rising turgor because the cell wall supports it
and prevents from further expansion

b. In animal cells, endosmosis, if not controlled results in the bursting of cells.

- If an animal cell is placed in distilled water for some time, it bursts open and dies
because it lacks support since it has no cell membrane.
- The bursting of animal cells as a result of excessive turgor pressure, is called lysis

3.2 Effects of exosmosis to cells

a. In plant cells, exosmosis causes loss of water by the cell to the external environment.
 - If exosmosis is left uncontrolled, the cell losses water in excess causing the cell
membrane to be detached from the membrane as protoplasm shrinks. The cell
becomes flaccid.
- The detachment of cell membrane from the cell wall as a result of excessive loss of
water by exosmosis is called plasmolysis.

- Plasmolysis occurs in plant cells only

c. In animal cells, exosmosis results in the cell shrinking until it dies out of lack of water.
- This is called crenation, which occurs in animal cells only.
- When the crenates, it dies in the process.

4. Active Transport

a. This is a special mode of transport in cells in which a cell moves substances against
their concentration gradient using respiratory energy.
b. In absence of respiratory energy, active transport is impossible.
c. Absorption of amino acids and glucose in the alimentary canal of animals is always
done by active transport; plants also absorb some mineral salts like nitrates by active
transport.