Movement of substances in and out of cells

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this lesson students will be able to;
1. Define and describe the importance of diffusion, osmosis, active
transport and bulk transport.
2. Distinguish between diffusion, osmosis, bulk and active transport.
TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVEMENT IN CELLS

1. Solute: Is any substance that is dissolved in a solution. They are usually solid
in state but can be liquids as well.
2. Solvent: A liquid that dissolves a particular solute.
3. Solution: it’s a uniform mixture of solute and solvent.
4. Concentration: The high amount of a particular substance (solutes or
solvent).
5. Concentration gradient: This refers to the difference in concentration of a
particular solute particles, solvent molecules or gas particles between two
regions.
TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVEMENT IN CELLS

1. Diffusion: It is the movement of gas, solute or liquid molecules from a region

where they are more concentrated to a region where they are less
concentrated.
2. Osmosis: Is the process whereby water molecules diffuses into or out of a
cell through a partially permeable membrane.
3. Active transport: The movement of molecules or ions in and out of a cell
through the cell membrane against a concentration gradient (lower region
of concentration to higher concentration region)
 TYPES OF SOLUTIONS

1. Hypotonic solution: A solution which is lower in solute concentration than its

surrounding solution.

2. Isotonic solution: A solution which has the same or similar solute

concentration as its surrounding solution.

3. Hypertonic solution: A solution which is higher in solute concentration than

its surrounding solution.
 Water
potential
This is the measure of potential energy in water and describes the eagerness of water
to flow from and area of high water concentration to an are of low water
concentration.

It is is simply the tendency or eagerness of water to flow out of a particular region

where it is high in conc. To another region where it is low in conc.
 DIFFUSION
Is the net movement of molecules or ions or substance (solid, liquid or gas) from a
region of higher concentration of the moving molecule to a region of lower
concentration of the moving molecule (down a concentration gradient) until the
molecule is evenly distributed.

The aim of diffusion is to achieve a dynamic equilibrium between two region of

different concentrations. It is a passive movement.
 FACTORS THAT AFFECTS THE RATE OF DIFFUSION

1. concentration gradient

2. Permeability of surface membrane

3. Temperature

4. Size of molecule (surface area of molecules)

5. State of diffusing molecules

6. Agitation or shaking
BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OR EXAMPLES OF DIFFUSION

1. Absorption of mineral salts from the soil by roots of plants.

2. Oxygen and CO2 diffuses in and out of stomata of leaves during respiration
and photosynthesis.
3. O2 diffuses in and CO2 diffuses out of the surface of unicellular organisms.
4. O2 diffuses in and CO2 diffuses out of the blood in the lungs during
respiration.
5. Movement of O2 from maternal blood into placenta.
6. Movement of CO2 out of placenta in foetus.
7. Gaseous exchange in gills of fishes.
EXPERIMENTS ON DIFFUSION
 OSMOSIS

Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from a dilute solution (lower solute

concentration) into a more concentrated solution (higher solute concentration)

through a partially permeable membrane till a dynamic equilibrium is established.

Or

The diffusion of water molecules from a region of high water potential (high water

concentration) to a region of lower water potential (low water concentration)

through a semi-permeable membrane until a dynamic equilibrium is established.

 FACTORS THAT AFFECT OSMOSIS

1. Presence of concentration gradient.

2. A living tissue (semi-permeable membrane)

3. Temperature
 EXPLANATION OF TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH OSMOSIS IN A LIVING CELL

Turgidity: is the point at which the cell's membrane pushes against the cell
wall

Flaccidity: The process by which cells become wilt or limp or shrink

upon losing water when placed in a hypertonic solution.

Plasmolysis: The detachment or movement of the cytoplasm from the cell

wall
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF OSMOSIS
In Animals

1. Reabsorption of water in the nephrons of the kidney tubules.

2. Reabsorption of water from the large intestines into the bloodstream.
3. Haemolysis and crenation of the RBCs.

In Plants

4. Absorption of water from the soil by root hair cells.

5. Provision of turgidity to plants cells.
6. Controls opening and closing of the stomata due to turgidity and
flaccidity of guard cells.
 ACTIVE TRANSPORT

It is the movement of solute molecules or

ions from a region of low solute
concentration to a region of high solute
concentration (against a
concentration gradient) across a
living cell using energy (ATP) produced
by the cell.
NATURE OF CELLS THAT CARRY OUT ACTIVE TRANSPORT

1. Presence of Numerous mitochondria.

2. High rate of cellular respiration.

3. Presence of high concentration of ATP.

TYPES OF ACTIVE TRANSPORT
1. Sodium - Potassium pump: Moves 3 Na+ ions out and 2 K+ ions into the cell by
the use of one unit molecule of ATP.

2. Endcytosis: absorption of molecules into the cell by creating invaginations

around the molecules and engulfing them using ATP.

There are 3 types;

a. Pinocytosis (cell drinking)

b. Phagocytosis (cell eating)

c. receptor mediated endocytosis (RME)

3. Exocytosis: removal of substances from cell.

Phagocytosis
 Differences between Diffusion and active
transport
Diffusion
Active transport

1. Molecules moves down a conc. Gradient. Molecules moves down a conc. Gradient.

2. Energy not required

Energy required

3. Reversible
Not reversible (unidirectional)
 Differences between Diffusion and Osmosis

Diffusion
Osmosis

1. No partially permeable membrane partially permeable membrane

required required

2. Movement involves solid, gaseous and solvent Movement of solvent molecules

only
BULK TRANSPORT

The process by which large substances (or bulk

amounts of smaller substances) enter the cell without
crossing the membrane. An invagination of the
membrane forms a flask-like depression which envelopes
the extracellular material. The invagination is then sealed
off to form an intracellular vesicle containing the ...