Transport across the cell membrane

by
Adejare, A. A. (Ph.D)
Dept. of Physiology,
CMUL
 Objectives
• Students should be able to
• Describe the ionic distribution across the CM
• Describe the transport processes
• Describe the mechanisms involved
• Describe the applied physiology
 Outline
• Simple diffusion
• Osmosis
• Solvent drag
• Facilitated diffusion
• Active transport
• Endocytosis
• Exocytosis
Ionic distribution across the CM
 DIFFUSION

• Continual movement of molecules among one another in liquids or in

gases from higher concentration to lower concentration without
energy involvement
• Divided into simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion

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 Simple diffusion
• Movement of molecules or ions occurs through a membrane opening
or through intermolecular spaces without any interaction with carrier
proteins in the membrane
• occur by two pathways:
• (1) through the interstices of the lipid bilayer if the diffusing substance
is lipid soluble (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and alcohols ), and
(2) through watery channels

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• The channels are usually selective and gated (voltage and
ligand/chemical gating)

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 Facilitated diffusion/ CMD
• substance transported in this manner diffuses through the membrane
using a specific carrier protein to help.
• the rate of diffusion approaches a maximum, called Vmax

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• Where used
• Simple diffusion: nutrient absorption in the GIT
• Facilitated diffusion: glucose, amino acids
• Factors that affect the rate
• Concentration gradient
• Electrical potential difference
• Pressure difference
• Number & efficiency of transporters

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 Osmosis

• Net movement of water through a semipermeable membrane caused by

concentration difference
• passive process
• Osmotic pressure: pressure to stop osmosis. Depends on the number of
osmotically active particles per unit volume and NOT on the mass of the
particles

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• To express the conc of the solution
• Osmolality= number of osmoles / kg of water
• At 37ºC
• 1 osmole=19300 mmHg osmotic pre
• 1 milliosmole=19.3 mmHg
• 300 milliosmole= 5790 mmHg ~ 5500 mmHg
• Actual OP= 0.93*calculated value

• Also expressed as
• Osmolarity= number of osmoles / liter of solution 11
Membrane Permeability on Diffusion and Osmosis

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 Tonicity

Describes how a solution affects cell volume

• hypertonic
• solution with more solutes
• Blood cells shrink and crenate
• hypotonic
• solution with less solutes
• Blood cells swell up and hemolyse
• isotonic
• both solutions have similar concentrations of solutes.
• Cell size is unchanged
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 Active transport
• Movement of ion or molecules against an electrical or pressure
gradient, uphill
• a carrier and energy involved
• Two types
• Primary active transport
• Secondary active transport

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 PAT
• Energy is derived directly from breakdown of adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) or of some other high-energy phosphate compound
• transport depends on carrier proteins
• Sodium-potassium pump

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 Na+-K+ ATPase pump
• It has three receptor sites for binding sodium ions on the portion of the
protein that protrudes to the inside of the cell.
• It has two receptor sites for potassium ions on the outside.
• The inside portion of this protein near the sodium binding sites has
ATPase activity.

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• The pump helps to control cell volume: pump actually activated by
increased cell volume
• The pump is electrogenic: negativity on the inside
• net loss of ions out of the cell initiates osmosis of water out of the cell
• Others: calcium pump in SR, hydrogen pump in the gastric glands of
the stomach

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 Secondary Active Transport

• the energy is derived secondarily from energy that has been stored in
the form of ionic concentration differences of secondary molecular or
ionic substances between the two sides of a cell membrane, created
originally by primary active transport.
• transport depends on carrier proteins

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 SAT
• 2 types:
• Co-transport: symport
• Counter-transport: antiport
• Co-transport: diffusion energy of an ion pull other substances
along with the ion through the cell membrane

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• Counter-transport: sodium-calcium counter-transport in all cell
membranes and sodium-hydrogen counter-transport in proximal
tubules of the kidney

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 Transport of large particles
Endocytosis

• A form of active transport.

• Transport of large particles across the plasma membrane
• Types :
Phagocytosis
Pinocytosis

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 Phagocytosis

• only a few body cells are capable

• Ex. WBC (macrophages , neutrophils)
• particle binds to plasma membrane
• pseudopods extend and surround particle forming phagosome
• phagosome fuses with lysosomes which destroy
invader/bacterium/dead cell/tissue debris

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 Pinocytosis
• Also called cellular drinking (intake of macromolecules)

• most body cells carry out the process: especially absorptive cells in
intestines and kidneys
• tiny droplets of extracellular fluid taken into cell
• lysosomes fuse and degrade particles into smaller useable particles

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 Exocytosis
• releases materials form a cell
• all cells carry out the process
• Ex. i. secretory cells
• release digestive enzymes, hormones, mucus, or other secretions
• ii. nerve cells
• release neurotransmitters
• vesicles fuse with plasma membrane and release contents into extracellular fluid

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