CHAPTER 3: MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE.
3.1: The movement of substances across
the plasma membrane.
Fluid mosaic model
1. A membrane is pictured as a mosaic because
it has various protein molecules embedded
in the phospholipid.
2. A phospholipid is an amphatic molecule
(have hydrophilic and hydrophobic region).
Structure of Plasma Membrane
Phospholipid
1. Polar head : attracted to water
: hydrophilic
Non-polar tail : repelled to water
: hydrophobic
2. The structure of plasma membrane is
comprised of the phopholipid bilayer, and
various types of protein molecules.
3. Cross by phospholipid bilayer : Oxygen,
Carbon dioxide and lipid saluble
substances
4. Cross by transport protein : glucose and
amino acids (normally have charged ions)
5. These transport protein in the plasma
membrane function as
a. Carrier protein : fits molecule shape at
binding site so that can across plasma
membrane.
b. Pore protein :protein molecule that has
a pore to provide a passage for a
particular solute to pass through.
6. Plasma membrane only allows certain
substances to move across it. This property
makes the membrane semi-permeable.
Passive Transport of Substances Across
the Plasma Membrane.
1. Passive transport is the movement of
substances across the plasma membrane
from a region of high concentration to
region low concentration and do not
require energy.
2. There are 3 passive transport :
a) Simple diffusion – easily across
b) Osmosis – semi-permeable membrane
c) Facilitated diffusion – need protein
transport
SIMPLE DIFFUSION
1. Molecule diffuse the across the plasma
membrane down the concentration
gradient through the phospholipid bilayer
until equilibrium reached.
Simple diffusion
2. Soluble substances that move across the
plasma membrane by simple diffusion are:
a) Small uncharged polar : oxygen, carbon
dioxide, water.
 b) Dissolve in fats : fatty acids, glycerol,
vitamins ADEK.

1. Example : gaseous exchange at the alveolus

in the lungs.

OSMOSIS

3. An example of osmosis is the absorption of

water by root hairs of a plant.

4. The water molecules from the soil diffuse

across the semi-permeable membrane of
the root hairs into the root hairs of plant.

Gaseous exchange at alveolus in the FACILITATED DIFFUSION

lungs.
1. Facilitated diffusion is a diffusion of some
2. The concentration of oxygen is higher in the substances down their concentration
alveolus than in the blood capillary. Hence, gradient helping by transport proteins
oxygen diffuses of the alveolus into the blood such as carrier proteins and pores
capillary along the concentration gradients. protein without require energy.

3. The concentration in the carbon dioxide in 2. Facilitated diffusion that occurs through pore
blood capillary is higher than that in the protein only allows small charged
alveolus. Hence, carbon dioxide diffuses out molecules such as mineral ions.
of the blood capillary into the alveolus to be
exhaled. 3. Facilitated diffusion that occurs with the help
of carrier proteins only allows larger
OSMOSIS uncharged polar molecules such as
glucose and amino acids.
1. Osmosis is the diffusion of water
molecules (solvent molecules) down their
concentration gradient through a semi-
permeable membrane.

2. Water molecules move from a region of

higher water concentration (dilute
solution) to a region of lower water
concentration.

Transport proteins
 Active transport

COMPARISON BETWEEN PASSIVE

TRANSPORT AND ACTIVE TRANSPORT

Facilitated diffusion by carrier protein

ACTIVE TRANSPORT

1. Active transport is the movement of

substances across the plasma membrane
from a region of low concentration to a
region of high concentration and requires
energy.

2. These transport proteins which function as

carrier proteins require energy to
change the shape of the protein and to
pump or transport the substance
across the membrane.

3. An example of active transport is the

pumping of sodium ions (Na⁺) out of the cell.

THE MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS

THE PLASMA MEMBRANE IN EVERYDAY
LIFE.

Hypertonic : higher concentration of solute

than cell.
Hypotonic : lower concentration of solute
than cell.
Isotonic : Equal concentration of solute and
cell.
OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
1. Application of osmosis can be seen in the
phenomenon of wilting in plants and also
in the preservation of food.
Phenomenon of wilting plants:
1. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers will
cause plants to wilt.
2. Fertilisers will dissolve in the soil and cause
the soil water to be hypertonic to the cell sap
of plants roots.
3. Water diffuses out of the root cells by
osmosis. The plant cells lose water to their
surroundings and shrinks. Plasmolysis occurs
and the plant cells become flaccid, causing
the plant to wilt.
4. If no water is given to the plant, it will
continue to wilt and it finally dies.
Preservation of food:
1. Based on the concept of osmosis and
plasmolysis.
2. The method of preserving food include:
a) Drying
b) Pickling
c) Smoking
d) Salting (most)
e) Sugar-curing (most)
3. Preservation of fish:
a. Fish are covered with salt.
b. Causes the moisture around the fish to be
hypertonic to the cells of the fish.
c. Water concentration in the cells of the
fish exceeds the water concentration
outside the fish.
d. Water diffuses down the concentration
gradient to move out of the cells by
osmosis.
e. The cells of the fish lose water and
undergo plasmolysis.
f. Lack of water in the cells prevents growth
of microorganisms.
4. In the preservation of fruits as in preparing
pickles, sugar solution, vinegar or salt is
used.
a. Slices of fruits are immersed in a
concentrated sugar solution which is
hypertonic to the fruit cells.
b. Water diffuses out of the fruit cells by
osmosis into the sugar solution.
c. The cells lose water and are not
conducive to the growth of
microorganisms.
APPRECIATING THE MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS THE PLASMA MEMBRANE
1. Specific substances move across the plasma
membrane at certain parts of the membrane.
a. Oxygen and carbon dioxide move across
the phospholipid bilayers of the plasma
membrane by simple diffusion.
b. Water molecules move across the
phospholipid bilayers of the plasma
membrane by osmosis.
 c. Glucose, amona acids and charged ions
move across the plasma membrane
through the carrier proteins and pore
proteins by facilitated diffusion.

2. Unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol

will increase the fluidity of the plasma
membrane:
a. Unsaturated fatty acids with bent tails
break up the dense fatty acid packing and
cause the phospholipid bilayers to be
more fluid. This enables substances to
move readily across the membrane.
b. The presence of cholesterol in the plasma
membrane increases fluidity and makes
it easier for substances to move
across it.

Phospholipid bilayers : cholesterol

and fatty acids