MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS THE

PLASMA MEMBRANE
 Subtopics

Movement of Substances
Across the Plasma Membrane
03
Understanding the Movement
of Substances Across the
Plasma Membrane in Everyday

01 Life

Appreciating the
Movement of Substances
Across the Plasma

02 Membrane

2
 Learning Objective
To explain the
To describe the permeability necessity for
To state the substances movement of
of the plasma membrane
required by living cells substances
across the
plasma
membrane
To state the
substances that
have to be
eliminated from To describe the
cell structure of
the plasma
membrane

3
NECESSITY FOR MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

maintain an ion
concentration gradient
provide nutrients for required for nerve &
metabolism & growth muscle cell activities
eliminate toxic
supply oxygen for
respiration To……… waste products
such as urea &
regulate solute concentration & carbon dioxide
suitable pH for maintaining a secrete useful substances,
stable internal environment for for example, digestive
optimal
4 enzymatic activities enzymes & hormones
SUBSTANCES CAN MOVE INTO OR OUT
OF A CELL BY :
Osmosis
Simple
diffusion

PASSIVE ACTIVE
TRANSPORT TRANSPORT

Facilitated
diffusion
5
 Movement of substances across the plasma membrane
would depend on

The
The difference
difference in
in
concentration
concentration between
between the
the cell
cell
&
& extracellular
extracellular fluiD
fluiD

Selectivity
Selectivity of
of the
the partially
partially
permeable
permeable membrane
membrane
CELL MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
All cells are covered by a thin plasma membrane

It separates the cell contents from the surrounding

1972, S.J. Singer & G.L. Nicolson proposed the fluid-mosaic model of plasma membrane

The plasma membrane is dynamic & fluid. The phospholipid molecules can move thus
giving the membrane its fluidity & flexibility

The proteins are scattered in the membrane giving it a mosaic appearance

CELL MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
The membrane consists of a phospholipid bilayer (2 molecules thick)

The polar hydrophilic heads – outer layer

The non-polar hydrophobic hydrocarbon fatty
face outwards, chemically attracted to the
acid tails – face inwards, away from water
watery surrounding

There are proteins on the outer & inner surfaces of the plasma membrane

Some proteins penetrate partially through the membrane, others penetrate completely

The phospholipid bilayer is permeable to diffusion of small uncharged molecules such as

O2 & CO
 2 TYPES
Channel / OF Some
pore carrier
proteins TRANSPO proteins
have pore to
RT have binding sites that
facilitate diffusion PROTEIN bind to specific
of particular ions / molecules such as
molecules across glucose @ amino
the PM acids  alter their
shape to facilitate the
diffusion of solutes
Other
carrier
proteins
16

function in active transport  an energized carrier protein actively

pumps the solute across the cell membrane against the concentration
gradient.
Cholesterol molecules
stabilise the structure of
PLASMA MEMBRANE
 MECHANISM OF MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE

selectively permeable to small not allow substances to diffuse through it

molecules such as water &
glucose

Does not permit large semipermeable

molecule to move
through it
egg membrane, MECHANISM impermeable
plasma membrane of
living cells &
membrane
cellaphone
membrane of the
Visking tubing permeable
membrane Example : the impermeable polythene membrane
permeable to the many
solvent (water) & solute
19 molecules
Example : cellulose cell wall of plant cell
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
To explain the
movement of
substances across the To explain the process of
plasma membrane
through the process of
01 passive transport in living
organisms using
passive transport examples

To explain the 04
movement of water
molecules across the
02
plasma membrane by
osmosis 03
To explain the movement of substances across the
20 plasma membrane through the process of active
transport
 PASSIVE TRANSPORT
The movement of particles (molecules/ions) within a gas or
liquid across the plasma membrane from a region of higher
concentration to a region of lower concentration & does not
require expenditure of energy from ATP.
The substances move down their concentration gradient
through different ways :
 Phospholipid bilayer
 Pore protein/ channel protein
 Carrier protein
 PASSIVE TRANSPORT

SIMPLE FACILITATED
DIFFUSION DIFFUSION

OSMOSIS
 SIMPLE DIFFUSION
The net movement of molecules / ions from a
region of higher concentration to a region of The bigger the concentration gradient the
lower concentration until an equilibrium is faster the rate of diffusion
reached

These substances will diffuse down the

concentration gradient if there is a
Substances concentration gradient. (until an equilibrium is
reached)

Lipid-soluble Examples : gaseous exchange between the

Small non-polar substances,eg: alveolus & the blood capillaries, blood
molecules ,eg: vitamins ADEK, Water
O2 & CO2 steroids & molecules capillaries & body cells
26 alcohols
 OSMOSIS

A special type of diffusion

The diffusion of water molecules (solvent)
from a region of higher water concentration
(diluted solution) to a region of lower water OSMOSIS
concentration (concentrated solution)
through a semi-permeable membrane until an Absorption of water from
equilibrium is reached Examples soil solution by plant root
hairs

Reabsorption of water by kidney

29
tubules
 FACILITATED
THE MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES /
DIFFUSION
IONS DOWN THEIR CONCENTRATION THE RATE OF FACILITATED DIFFUSION
GRADIENT ASSISTED BY TRANSPORT DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF
PROTEINS (CHANNEL PROTEIN / PORE TRANSPORT PROTEIN MOLECULES IN
PROTEIN) ACROSS THE PLASMA THE MEMBRANE & HOW FAST THEY
MEMBRANE WITHOUT USING CAN MOVE THEIR SPECIFIC SOLUTE
ENERGY

THE TRANSPORT PROTEINS ONLY ALLOWS SMALL CHARGED

FACILITATE & INCREASE THE RATE OF MOLECULES SUCH AS MINERAL IONS
DIFFUSION ACROSS THE PLASMA TO PASS THROUGH THE PORE
MEMBRANE PROTEIN

CARRIER PROTEIN : ALLOWS LARGER

UNCHARGED POLAR MOLECULES –
NOT REQUIRE ENERGY
GLUCOSE & AMINO ACIDS TO CROSS
THE MEMBRANE
31
 THE MECHANISM
The solute binds
The solute to the carrier
moves to the
binding site of 01 protein at the
binding site &
the specific
carrier protein 02 triggers the
carrier protein to
change its shape
The carrier
The carrier protein changes
protein returns
back to its
04 its shape &
moves the
original shape 03 solute across
the membrane
33
FACILITATED DIFFUSION

The solutes can be transported by carrier proteins

in either direction but the net movement is always
down the concentration gradient

Examples : the transportation of glucose, amino

acids & mineral ions across the membrane of the
vilus at the ileum & body cells
 ACTIVE TRANSPORT
The movement of substances
across the plasma membrane
Require energy (ATP) to change
from a region of low
the shape of the protein such
concentration to a region of
that the substance can be
high concentration (against
pumped across the membrane
the concentration gradient)
by using metabolic energy
The substances move
across a membrane Example : absorption of
against the concentration potassium ions from pond water
gradient, using metabolic by algae Nitella sp. against a
energy concentration gradient, the intak
of mineral ions by the plant root
Perform by a specific hairs, Na+/ K+ protein pumps in
protein embedded in the the plasma membrane of neuron
plasma membrane transport Na+ & K+ against their
35 concentration gradients
SODIUM-POTASSIUM PUMP
 PASSIVE TRANSPORT SIMILARITIES ACTIVE TRANSPORT

o Transport of substances across the plasma membrane

o Need a difference of concentration gradient between extracellular environment & the cell

DIFFERENCES

Follow Concentration gradient Against

Does not expend energy Cellular energy Need to expend energy

Until an equilibrium is reached Outcome of the process Depends on the cells requirement (no
need to reach an equilibrium)

Non-living & living organisms Occurs in Living organisms only

Simple diffusion, osmosis, facilitated Name of process Active transport

diffusion