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CHAPTER 6: MOVEMENT OF
MOLECULES ACROSS MEMBRANES.
VIJAIYAN K
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INTRODUCTION
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MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS MEMBRANE
The plasma membrane acts as a gateway to control movement of substances in
and out of the cell.
The plasma membrane is selectively permeable (only allow certain substances to
pass through it).
The movement of substances across the plasma membrane depends on:
Size of molecules
Charge on substances
Structure and composition of the membrane
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PLASMA MEMBRANE

Various molecules and ions move through different components of the plasma membrane:
Type of molecule
Small, uncharged, non-polar
and hydrophobic
Small, polar molecules
Large, non-polar,
hydrophobic
Small, hydrophilic ions
Large polar molecules
MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS MEMBRANE
Example
Oxygen, carbon dioxide
Water, glycerol
hydrocarbons
Ions: sodium, calcium, Channel or carrier proteins
chloride, hydrogen carbonate
Glucose, amino acids
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Component of plasma
membrane
Phospholipid bilayer
Phospholipid bilayer
Phospholipid bilayer
Carrier proteins
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MOVEMENT OF SUBSTANCES
ACROSS MEMBRANE
Transport of substances across the plasma membrane is important for
cells to:
Obtain nutrients
Excrete waste substances
Secrete useful substances
Generate ionic gradients for muscle and nerve cell activities
Maintain a suitable pH and ionic concentration
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Movement of
substances across
the plasma
membrane.

Bulk transport
Passive transport Active transport (endocytosis
and exocytosis)

Facilitated
Simple diffusion Osmosis
diffusion
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PASSIVE
TRANSPORT
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PASSIVE TRANSPORT
Definition: movement of substances from a region of high
concentration to a region of low concentration
The net movement of particles are down the concentration gradient
Passive transport does not require expenditure of energy from a cell
Examples of passive transport includes:
Simple diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Osmosis
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SIMPLE DIFFUSION

Substances move down the concentration gradient randomly

due to their kinetic energy
Diffusion occurs in living and non-living systems
Diffusion will proceed until equilibrium is established (no net
movement of particles)
Ex: diffusion of oxygen gases from the alveolar space into the
blood
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SIMPLE DIFFUSION
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SIMPLE DIFFUSION
The types of molecules that can move across the plasma membrane by simple diffusion
are:
Type of molecule Example

Uncharged Respiratory gases that can diffuse rapidly through

molecules membranes
Water molecules Water molecule is polar but small enough to pass through
the phospholipid bilayer
Lipid-soluble Steroid hormones that are hydrophobic and can diffuse
molecules easily through the plasma membrane
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SIMPLE DIFFUSION
The rate of diffusion is affected by:
Factor Explanation

Steepness of The steeper the gradient, the faster the diffusion

concentration
gradient
Surface area of The greater the surface area of a membrane, the
membrane faster the diffusion rate
Distance The greater the distance for a diffusion to take
place, the slower the rate of diffusion
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SIMPLE DIFFUSION
The rate of diffusion can be explained by Ficks law:

surface area & difference in concentration

Rate of diffusion
length of diffusion pathway
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FACILITATED DIFFUSION
Molecules or ions that are polar and large molecules are not able to diffuse readily
through the plasma membrane
The substances pass through the plasma membrane through facilitated diffusion
Facilitated diffusion is movement of substances down the concentration gradient
with the help of special carrier proteins
The carrier proteins may be:
Hydrophilic channels that functions as pores that allows molecules to pass
through
Carrier molecules, a globular protein that transports substances back and forth
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FACILITATED DIFFUSION
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FACILITATED DIFFUSION
An example of facilitate diffusion is the transport of glucose into cell by
glucose permease
The protein changes its shape when glucose binds to it
The glucose is moved across the membrane as the protein alternate
between its forms
The protein can transport glucose in both direction following
concentration gradient
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OSMOSIS
Osmosis is a special diffusion of solvent
In osmosis, water molecules move from a region of higher
concentration (dilute solution) to the region of lower
concentration (concentrated solution)
Osmosis only occurs through a semi-permeable membrane
Water molecules crosses the membrane easily but not the
solutes
The water molecules move until equilibrium is reached.
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OSMOSIS
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WATER POTENTIAL, SOLUTE
POTENTIAL, PRESSURE POTENTIAL
Water potential (w)
Refers to the pressure exerted by freely moving water molecules
The greater the concentration of water molecules, the greater the water potential
Water potential of a solution can be regarded as the tendency of water to enter or leave the
solution by osmosis
Water potential is represented by w (psi) and can be measured in units of kilopascals (kPa)
Pure water has the highest water potential (w = 0)
All solutions have lower water potential than pure water, and hence they have negative
water potentials
Water will always move from a region of higher water potential (less negative/dilute
solution) to a region of lower water potential (more negative/concentrated solution)
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WATER POTENTIAL, SOLUTE
POTENTIAL, PRESSURE POTENTIAL
Solute potential (S)
Solute potential (S) is a measure of the change in the water potential of a
system due to the presence of solute molecules
Solutes attract water molecules and reduces concentration of free water
molecules.
Solute prevents the water molecules from moving across the plasma
membrane
The value of solute potential is always negative because it lowers the water
potential
The more solutes present, the lower the solute potential (more negative)
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WATER POTENTIAL, SOLUTE
POTENTIAL, PRESSURE POTENTIAL
Pressure potential (p)
If pressure grater than atmospheric pressure is applied to water, its water potential
increases.
Pressure tends to force water molecules to move from one place to another.
The pressure exerted on a liquid by its surroundings is known as the pressure
potential.
When water moves into a plant cell by osmosis, it exerts a pressure on the cell wall.
The cell wall develops on opposing pressure potential to resist the movement of water
into the cell.
Pressure potential is usually positive when the cell is turgid and zero when it is flaccid
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WATER POTENTIAL, SOLUTE
POTENTIAL, PRESSURE POTENTIAL
Water potential is affected by the presence of dissolved solutes (solute
potential) and the pressure of cell wall acting against the fluid (pressure
potential)

W = s + p
water potential = solute potential + pressure potential
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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS ON PLANT
CELL
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HYPOTONIC SOLUTION
Hypotonic solution is a solution that has less negative water potential
compared to the cell sap
Water moves into the cell by osmosis
Water fills the central vacuole and the cells become distended
Hydrostatic pressure develops inside the cell known as the turgor
pressure
The cell is said to be turgid
The cell doesnt expand beyond the capability of the cell wall
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ISOTONIC SOLUTION

A solution that has water potential equal to the water

potential of the cell sap
Water moves into and out of the cell at the same rate
There is no net movement of water molecules
There is no change observed on the cells.
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HYPERTONIC SOLUTION
Hypertonic solution is a solution that has a lower potential compared
to the cell sap
When plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water moves out of
the cell by osmosis
The water is first lost from cytoplasm and the later from vacuole
The cell becomes flaccid as the protoplasm shrinks and pulls away from
the cell wall
The process is called plasmolysis and the cell is said to be plasmolysed
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HYPERTONIC SOLUTION
The pointy at which plasmolysis is about to happen is known as
incipient plasmolysis
The process of plasmolysis can be reversed by placing the cell in pure
water or solution of higher water potential
Water enters the cell by osmosis causing the protoplasm to expand and
fill the cell
This process is known as deplasmolysis
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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS ON
ANIMAL CELL
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HYPOTONIC SOLUTION

Hypotonic solution is a solution that has less negative water

potential compared to the cell sap
Water moves into the cell by osmosis
In animal cells, there is no cell wall to provide resistance from
stretching
The plasma membrane will be unable to resist the pressure
potential; the cell swells and bursts
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ISOTONIC SOLUTION

A solution that has water potential equal to the water

potential of the cell sap
Water moves into and out of the cell at the same rate
There is no net movement of water molecules
There is no change observed on the cells.
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HYPERTONIC SOLUTION
Hypertonic solution is a solution that has a lower potential compared
to the cell sap
When animal cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water moves out of
the cell by osmosis
The animal cell loses water causing it to shrink and shrivel
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CYTOSIS
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CYTOSIS
Cytosis is an active transport that involves infolding or outfolding of
sections of the membrane
Cytosis results in transport of larger molecules and clumps of material
through the membrane
Cytosis can be divided into
Endocytosis
Exocytosis
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ENDOCYTOSIS

Infolding or invagination of the cell membrane to form a

vesicle or vacuole
There are three main forms of endocytosis:
Phagocytosis
Pinocytosis
Receptor-mediated endocytosis
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PHAGOCYTOSIS

The plasma membrane

encloses large solid particles
such as bacteria or food
The food is packaged into a
phagocytic vacuole
The vacuole fuses with
lysosome and the food is
digested
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PINOCYTOSIS

The material taken up by the

cell is in the form of liquid
The plasma membrane
pinches off to form vesicles
The liquid from the vesicle is
absorbed slowly into the cell
sap
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RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS

Special molecules bind with

the receptor on the
membrane
When the receptors are
filled, the plasma membrane
folds inwards to form a
vesicle
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EXOCYTOSIS
The cells release waste products
or secretion products from the
cell
The vacuoles and vesicles move
towards the plasma membranes
The membranes of the vesicles or
vacuoles fuse with the plasma
membrane and release the
contents out of the cell
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ACTIVE TRANSPORT
The transport of substances across the plasma membrane against the
concentration gradient
Requires energy in the form of ATP as substance is being moved
against concentration gradient
Cells that carry out active transport has high number of mitochondria
to produce ATP
Active transport stops if production of ATP is stopped by metabolic
poisons such as cyanide
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ACTIVE TRANSPORT

Active transport occurs in

The intestines during the absorption of products of
digestion
In nerve cells and muscle cells
In the kidney; active transport of glucose and sodium in
proximal convoluted tubules
In plants; active loading of sugars into phloem for transport
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SODIUM-POTASSIUM PUMP
Sodium-potassium pump is essential in all cells as it helps:
In osmoregulation
In maintaining electrical activity in nerve and muscle cells
The pump moves sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into
the cell
The protein involved is a transmembrane protein
For every two potassium ions taken into the cell, three sodium ions are
removed
The protein changes shape using energy from ATP
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THE END