Active and Passive Transport of Molecules Through Plasma Membrane

An example of active transport would be pushing a stroller up a hill. Passive transport is diffusion across a membrane requiring only random motion of molecules with no energy expanded by the cell. Another example of passive transport would be rolling a ball down a hill.

The purpose of these experiments is to examine the driving force behind the movement of substances across a selective or semiperpeable plasma membrane. Experiment simulations examine substances that move passively through a semipermeable membrane, and those that require active transport. Those that move passively through the membrane will do so in these simulations by facilitated diffusion and filtration. The plasma membrane’s structure is composed in such a way that it can discriminate as to which substances can pass into the cell. This enables nutrients to enter the cell, while keeping unwanted substances out. Active

7. Explain how incubation plant tissues in a series of dilutions of sucrose can give an

“Active transport, the protein transporter moves molecules against, or up, the concentration gradient” (McCance & Huether, pg. 29).

The body and cells need a constant supply of energy for a variety of reasons. Energy is needed to carry out mechanical work which involves the change in location or orientation of a body part or the cell itself. A major example is the energy required for the contraction of muscles. Molecular transport also requires energy. The movement of molecules from an area of low concentration to an area of higher concentration requires energy since this is opposite to the normal movement of molecules. This process is also called active transport. Examples include the movement of nutrient raw materials into a cell and the movement of waste materials out of the cell. Electrical work is also included under molecular transport

A major determinant of diffusion in a biological system is membrane permeability. Small, uncharged molecules pass through cellular membranes easily, while most and/or charged molecules cannot pass through the membrane. The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane, like the plasma membrane

1. In passive transport, what determines the direction of movement of small particles? The direction of movement of particles in passive transport is determined by the concentration gradient (diffusion) between the cytoplasm and the extracellular fluid. 2. Why do the molecules in facilitated diffusion need help moving across the plasma membrane? Likely, the molecules are too large to pass unaided through the plasma membrane with the concentration gradient; they need to pass through special transport proteins.

Some molecules can pass into the cell by facilitated diffusion. This is passive due to the nature of diffusion and because the solute is moving down its

Cells need to let water-soluble ions and molecules, like glucose and amino acids into them from the environment. However these molecules diffuse through the phospholipid bilayer of the plasma membrane very slowly, so they use another form of passive transport to move these

In this lab, neutral red was used as a pH indicator. The color changes from yellow to red in a basic solution to an acidic solution. The neutral red dye was applied to Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. When the S. Cerevisiae cells come in contact with the neutral red dye, the dye gets to the cell by crossing the cell membrane. The cell membrane is the outer surface of the cell that functions as a barrier. The outside of the cell membrane is made of lipid and membrane proteins (Hardin, 2012). It is selectively permeable, which means only select ions and molecules can pass through it by transport. Membrane transport can be actively or passively moving a substance from side of the membrane to another (Hardin, 2012). Passive transport does not require energy to move molecules across the cell membrane. Diffusion is a form of passive transport that moves molecules across the membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Osmosis, diffusion, and facilitated diffusion are all examples of passive transport. Active transport requires energy to move molecules across the membrane from areas of lower concentration to higher concentration. It requires energy because it pushes sodium ions (Na+) and potassium ions (K+) (Hardin, 2012). When the dye entered the cell, it also showed its location. Sodium azide (Na+N3-) is a metabolic inhibitor that blocks the flow of electrons along

A cell needs to perform diffusion in order to survive. Substances, including water, ions, and molecules that are required for cellular activities, can enter and leave cells by a passive process such as diffusion. Diffusion is random movement of molecules in a net direction from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration order to reach equilibrium. Diffusion does not require any energy input. Diffusion is needed for basic cell functions - for example, in humans, cells obtain oxygen via diffusion from the alveoli of the lungs into the blood and in plants water

The diffusion across a cell membrane is a process of passive and spontaneous net movement of small lipophilic molecules. The molecules move from a high concentration to a low concentrated region along the concentration gradient. The result being a point of equilibrium, this is where a random molecular motion continues but there is no longer any net movement. However, there are things that can affect the rate of diffusion, these being temperature, surface area, concentration, size of the molecule, permeability, diffusion distance and concentration difference. Osmosis is a type of diffusion as it is the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration. Equilibrium is reached when the solute concentration is equal on both sides. Water potential is measured in kiloPascals, it is the measuring of the concentration of free water molecules that are able to diffuse compared to pure water, which is 0 kilopascals. It is a measure of the tendency of free water molecules to diffuse from one place to another. The result being, the more free water molecules, the higher the Water Potential. However, Water potential is affected by two factors: pressure and the amount of solute.

Cells are always in motion, energy of motion known as kinetic energy. This kinetic energy causes the membranes in motion to bump into each other, causing the membranes to move in another direction – a direction from a higher concentration of the solution to a lower one. Membranes moving around leads to diffusion and osmosis. Diffusion is the random movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, until they are equally distributed (Mader & Windelspecht, 2012, p. 50). Cells have a plasma membrane that separates the internal cell from the exterior environment. The plasma membrane is selectively permeable which allows certain solvents to pass through

All cells contain membranes that are selectively permeable, allowing certain things to pass into and leave out of the cell. The process in which molecules of a substance move from an area of high concentration to areas of low concentration is called Diffusion. Whereas Osmosis is the process in which water crosses membranes from regions of high water concentration to areas with low water concentration. While molecules in diffusion move down a concentration gradient, molecules during osmosis both move down a concentration gradient as well as across it. Both diffusion, and osmosis are types of passive transport, which do not require help.

Passive diffusion, also known as simple diffusion, is used to describe the exergonic reaction of a substance where the substance passes in the direction of the concentration gradient. Most of the molecules move from the area of high concentration, inside the membrane of a cell, to the outside where there is