CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Chapter Three
Movement of molecules
Movement of
substance in
and out cell

Active
Diffusion Osmosis
transport

Diffusion
The movement of molecules and ions from a high concentration region to a
lower concentration region down a concentration gradient as a result of their
random movement.
It is a passive process that doesn’t need
energy to happen
It depends on the kinetic energy of particles

What causes diffusion?

Difference in
Random concentration
movement of of a certain
molecules that substance
provide energy
for diffusion

Down the concentration gradient Against(up) the concentration gradient

From higher concentration to lower From lower concentration to higher
concentration concentration

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

When the concentration is equal at both side of a membrane, the solution is

called (Equilibrium).
Importance of diffusion 1-Absorption of salts from soil by hair root cells
2-Absorption of digested food by villi in small intestine
3-Gas exchange in plants through leaves and in animals
through alveoli.
The cell is surrounded by a cell membrane that is selective permeable
membrane that allows for some molecules to cross with ease, but others with
difficulty or not at all.
The simplest sort of selection depends on the size of the molecules.

• Diffusion in gases is faster than in liquids, No diffusion in solids.

Example of diffusion in LO:

Site Molecules moving From To
Small intestine Digested food Villi in small Blood / lymph
(glucose, amino intestine
acids , fatty acids
,….etc)
Leaf CO2 Air spaces Chloroplasts in
between mesophyll cells
mesophyll cells
Leaf Water vapor Stomata pores Air outside leaf
Lungs O2 Alveolar air space Blood
Lungs CO2 Blood in Alveolar air space
capillaries around
alveoli

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CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Factors affecting the rate of diffusion

Temperature
Increasing temperature increase the rate of diffusion. Why?

Because, increasing the kinetic energy of the molecules and their collision with cell
membrane

Distance of The smaller the distance molecules have to travel, the faster
tr diffusion transport will occurs and this means faster diffusion

Example: Blood capillaries and alveoli have walls which are only one cell thick.

Concentration
Increasing the difference of concentration leads to increase in
gradient
rate of diffusion

Air current If the direction of air current is similar to diffusion direction

, rate of diffusion increases

Size of molecules Increase size of molecules, decreasing the rate of diffusion

Stirring It increases the rate of diffusion as it increases the KE of

Molecules

Surface area to As it increases, the rate of reaction increases

volume ratio

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Importance of water as a solvent

• 75% of cell components is water

• Many substances move around the cell dissolved in water
• Many needed reactions occur in water
Active transport
Movement of particles from area of lower concertation to area of higher
concentration against concentration gradient using energy released during
respiration

Rate of
• It is active as it needs energy to take place active
• Need much mitochondria (why????) uptake

• Need a high supply of glucose and oxygen.

Example: Conc. Of O
2 or
glucose
A-In plant: * Absorption of minerals from soil by root hair cell
B-Animal: * Absorption of glucose from the small intestine to blood stream

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

How active transport occurs? * By special carrier protein in the cell

membrane
Carrier protein:
• Protein found in cell
membrane that force
particles against their
concentration gradient
• They’re specific (for
each type of carrier has
a specific precise shape
that can bind with
specific particles

How carrier protein act?

1- The solute is taken in the binding site of the carrier
2- The carrier molecules rotate using energy to transfer the solute from lower
concentration area to its higher concentration area

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Important questions:
Q1) Why respiration rate increases during uptake of minerals?
-Because active uptake needs energy that is released by respiration

Q2) Explain how root hair cell of pea plant absorb ions from soil with low nitrate
concentration?
-By active transport where molecules of ion is taken in the binding site of the
carrier then The carrier molecules rotate using energy to transfer the solute from
lower concentration area to its higher concentration area

Factors affecting active transport

1- Number of mitochondria: (increasing mitochondria leads to release more

energy; this causes more active uptake to occur)
2- Concentration of O2: When it increases, the rate of aerobic respiration
increases so more released energy is produced and fast active uptake occurs
3- Number of carrier proteins: This increase the rate of active transport.

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Osmosis
Net movement of water from area of high concentration of water (dilute solution) to
area of low concentration of water (concentrated solution) through partially
permeable membrane

• Osmosis is passive that doesn’t need energy to take place

• It takes place in both animal and plant cells as both have cell membrane.

Water potential: The ability of water molecules to move from one place to another

Water potential gradient: Presence in water potential of different media.

• Osmosis occurs down the water potential gradient

o In (L), more sugar molecules and

less water molecules so, it’s a
concentrated sugar solution
o In (R), less sugar molecules and
more water molecules so, it’s a
diluted sugar solution.
o Water will transfer from (R) diluted
solution where water molecules is
greater to (L) concentrated solution
where water molecules is less.
o Solution(R) has high water
potential and solution (L) has low
water potential, so water
molecules move from solution of
high-water potential (R) to solution of low water potential (L)

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

We used a visking tubing that is partially permeable and allow for specific
molecules to cross through it.

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Types of solution

Hypertonic Isotonic Hypotonic

Higher solute
Higher solute inside
outside the cell Equal solute and cell
Higher water inside water
higher water outside
cell

Effect of osmosis on plant cell

In dilute solution In concentrated solution

High water potential (HWP)
As pure water-distilled water-diluted
solution
The cell gains water by osmosis
Water moves from outside to inside
Vacuole enlarges and cell swells and
becomes Turgid
Cell membrane is pushed against cell
wall
Turgidity supports the plant cell
Low water potential (LWP)
As high concentrated of salt or sugar
solution
Cell loses water by osmosis
Water moves from inside the cell to
outside
Vacuole shrinks and cell becomes
flaccid
Cell membrane is pulled away from cell
wall
Cell shrinks and becomes plasmolyzed

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

*Plant cell doesn’t burst as it has a cell wall that is elastic as it’s made of cellulose
so it’s stretched and never break

• Plasmolysis: It is the shrinking of cytoplasm of plant cell so that cell

membrane tear away from cell wall
• It’s caused by osmosis
Features of plasmolysis:
Sap vacuole shrinks
Cytoplasm is pulled away from cell wall
Cell membrane is seen
There is a space between cell wall and cell membrane that contains outer
solution as water
No change in cell wall

Importance of osmosis for plants:

1- Absorption of water by root hair cells
2- Preventing plants’ wilting
3- Provide support by turgidity

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 CHAPTER THREE MOVMENT OF MOLECULES

Effect of osmosis on animal cell

In dilute solution In concentrated solution

High water potential (HWP)
As pure water-distilled water-diluted
solution
The cell gains water by osmosis
Water moves from outside to inside
Cell bursts
Low water potential (LWP)
As high concentrated of salt or sugar
solution
Cell loses water by osmosis
Water moves from inside the cell to
outside
Cytoplasm shrinks and cell shrivels up

Uptake of water Uptake of minerals

-Takes place by Osmosis which is -Takes place by active transport which
passive process (No need for energy) needs energy
Water molecules moves from areas of Minerals molecule’s moves area of low
high-water potential to areas of low concentration to area of high
water potential concentration
No active transport for water and gases

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