Diffusion, Osmosis,

Active Transport
Diffusion
 Diffusion
Diffusion is the net movement of ions or molecules from
a region of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration, down a concentration gradient
In liquids and gases, molecules possess kinetic energy
and constantly move about
As this movement is random, an equilibrium is reached
when the molecules are evenly spread out, where there
is no more net change – dynamic equilibrium reached
The steeper the gradient for a substance, the faster the
rate of diffusion
No energy input is required for diffusion because the
particles already are in motion.
 Diffusion
permeable
membrane
water

20 20 10 10
potassium copper potassium copper
iodide ions sulphate ions Key iodide ions, sulphate ions,
potassium iodide ions 10 10
copper potassium
copper sulphate ions sulphate ions iodide ions
 Importance of Diffusion

● Diffusion helps living organisms to:

obtain many of their requirements
get rid of many of their waste products
carry out gas exchange for respiration
● The cell membrane is a partially permeable membrane -
this means it allows some molecules to cross easily, but
others with difficulty or not at all
Examples of Diffusion
cell membrane
 Factors affecting
diffusion
• Temperature: As the temperature increases, the kinetic energy of
the molecules increases. As a result of that, they move faster. This
results in more collisions against the cell membrane and therefore
a faster rate of movement across them
• Size of particles: When the size of the particles is small, the
movement is faster, and the rate of diffusion is higher. (inverse)
Surface area: When the surface area is small, the particles spread
out faster compared to when the surface area is large. (inverse)
Concentration gradient: Steeper the gradient, faster the rate of
diffusion. (direct)
• Distances: This refers to the thickness and thinness of the cell
membrane. Shorter the distance, faster the rate of diffusion.
(inverse)
How cells are adapted for diffusion
for having increased surface area?
● eg root hair cells in plants (which absorb water and mineral ions) and cells
lining the ileum in animals (which absorb the products of digestion)
 Where does the energy
for diffusion come from?
● All particles move randomly at all times
● This is known as Brownian motion
● The energy for diffusion comes from the kinetic energy of
this random movement of molecules and ions
Osmosis
 Water.
Water is important for all living organisms as many substances are
able to dissolve in it (it is a solvent)
This makes it incredibly useful and essential for all life on Earth
Water is important as a solvent in the following situations within
organisms:
Dissolved substances can be easily transported around organisms -
eg xylem and phloem of plants and dissolved food molecules in the
blood
Digested food molecules are in the alimentary canal but need to be
moved to cells all over the body - without water as a solvent this
would not be able to happen
Toxic substances such as urea and substances in excess of
requirements such as salts can dissolve in water which makes them
easy to remove from the body in urine
Water is also an important part of the cytoplasm and plays a role in
ensuring metabolic reactions can happen as necessary in cells
 Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a solution of

higher water potential to a solution of lower water potential
through a partially permeable membrane
Water potential is a measure of the tendency of water to move
from one place to another
A water potential gradient is established when a
partially-permeable membrane separates two solutions of
different water potentials.
A dilute solution contains more water molecules per unit
volume than a concentrated solution so it has a higher water
potential than a concentrated solution
 Osmosis
There are two solutions, one dilute and one concentrated,
separated by a semipermeable membrane. The one on right
is diluted while the concentration on the left is
concentrated
The water molecules will move from the right handside
solution where they are very concentrated to the left hand
side solution where they are of a very low concentration,
osmosis took place.
Osmosis happens all the time in cells. If you place an animal
cell in distilled water. Osmosis will result in the water
molecules moving from the distilled water where they are
very concentrated to the Cell Where they are of low
concentration Through the cell surface membrane. The cell
becomes fat. As more Water molecules enter the cell, the
cell will eventually burst and die.
 Osmosis
Osmotic pressure is the pressure that must be
applied to a solution to prevent the inward flow
of water across a partially permeable membrane
.
Osmotic pressure is the opposite of water
potential.
A partially permeable membrane is a membrane
that will allow certain molecules or ions to pass
through it by diffusion.
The cell membrane is partially permeable.
What other structures or organs are partially
permeable?
It can get a little confusing to talk
about the 'concentration of water'
when we also talk about solutions
being ‘concentrated’ (having a lot of
solute in them), so instead we can say
that a dilute solution has a high water
potential (the right-hand side of the
diagram ) and a concentrated solution
has a low water potential (the
left-hand side of the diagram): .
 Osmosis
rise in level

A B A B A B

5% drop in
sucrose level
water
solution
(more molecules
water, diffuse
less from B to
sucrose) A.
partially
permeable
membrane
8 sucrose 4 sucrose 8 sucrose 4 sucrose
Key
molecules, molecules, molecules, molecules,
9 water 18 water sucrose molecule 18 water 9 water
molecules molecules water molecule molecules molecules

Net movement of water

molecules
 solutions and
cell’ behaviour
 Hypotonic, Isotonic,
Hypertonic
(animal cells only)

Lower water Equal water Higher water

potential potential potential
Plant cell in high water
potential solution
As water enters the cell, the vacuole increases in
size and pushes the cell contents against the
cellulose cell wall. The cell wall prevents over
expansion of the cell by exerting an opposing
pressure preventing the entry of more water

A plant in this state becomes turgid

The turgidity of the cell with water is called turgor

pressure

The plant cell does not burst because the cell wall is
strong and relatively inelastic
Plant cell in low water
potential solution
The water potential of the cell sap is higher than that of
the solution outside the cell. Osmosis takes place and
water moves out of the cell

As water is lost from the cell, the vacuole decreases in

size and the cytoplasm shrinks away from the cellulose
cell wall.

This shrinkage of the cytoplasm away from the cell wall

when plant cells are immersed in a solution of low water
potential is known as plasmolysis

The cells are said to be plasmolysed. The cells can be

restored by placing them in water or solution of high
water potential
Plant cell in low water
potential solution
water leaves by osmosis
Cytoplasm shrinks away from cell
wall

in a solution with low

water potential

As the cell loses water, the vacuole

decreases in size.
The cell becomes plasmolysed
 Animal cell in high
water potential solution
Animal cell will swell and may bust in a hypotonic
solution because it does not have a cell wall

in a solution with high

water potential
Animal cell in low water
potential solution
Animal cells in hypertonic solution: it will lose
water and the cell membrane will form little spikes
as water is lost and the cell shrinks, a process called
crenation. The cell dies eventually
Spikes form
in a solution with low
water potential
Plant cells in solutions of
different concentrations
When plant cells are placed in a solution When plant cells are placed in a
that has a higher water potential (dilute concentrated solution (with a lower water
solution) than inside the cells (e.g. distilled potential than inside the cells) water
water) then water moves into the plant cells molecules will move out of the plant cells
via osmosis by osmosis, making them flaccid
If plant cells become flaccid it can
negatively affect the plant's ability to
support itself

These water molecules push the cell If looked at underneath the microscope, the
membrane against the cell wall, increasing plant cells might be plasmolysed, meaning
the turgor pressure in the cells which the cell membrane has pulled away from
makes them turgid the cell wall
Animal cells in solutions of
different concentrations
If an animal cell is placed into a strong If an animal cell is placed into a strong
sugar solution (with a lower water potential sugar solution (with a lower water potential
than the cell), it will lose water by osmosis than the cell), it will lose water by osmosis
and become crenated (shrivelled up) and become swelled
Draw!!
Draw!!
 Turgor & Wilting
Turgor is very important in maintaining the shape of soft
tissues in plants
Young stems and most leaves, esp. those of herbaceous
or non-woody plants, can remain firm and erect because
of the turgor pressure within their cells.
When there is a high rate of evaporation of water from
the cells, they lose their turgidity and the plant wilts
The movement of certain plants are due to changes in
turgor
Eg opening and closing of the stomata, folding of leaflets
of the Mimosa plant
Active Transport
 Active Transport
Active transport is the process in which energy is
used to move the particles of a substance against a
concentration gradient from a region of lower
concentration to a region of higher concentration

Occurs in living cells because only living cells

respire
 Example of Active
transport
The energy used in cells is called “ATP”.
Active transport requires:
Protein transporters
ATP (or energy)
Active transport occurs in:
Absorption of mineral salts by root hair cells.
amino acids by cells in the small intestine.
Na-K pump
uptake of glucose by epithelial cells in the villi of the small
intestine and by kidney tubules in the nephron
uptake of ions from soil water by root hair cells in plants
 Example of Active
Transport
Absorption of mineral salts by root hair cells

The soil solution has to have a higher water potential than the
root hair cell in order for water to move into the root hair cell
by osmosis.

This means that the soil solution has a lower concentration of

ions (ie. mineral salts) than the root hair cell.

Therefore, active transport is used to transport ions into the

root hair cell.

Specific transporter proteins

Energy expended.
Active transport occurs in living, active cells only because it
needs energy, these cells usually have a structure called
mitochondria which respires producing energy to be used in
active transport.

Active transport happens in roots to absorb mineral salts from

the soil.

It also occurs in the digestive system of mammals.

IF no O2? If oxygen is absent, respiration won’t take place,

active transport will stop. Molecules are taken into the cell by
protein carriers within the cell membrane.
 Importance of Active
Transport
The energy-consuming process has several important uses, as in
ion uptake by root hairs and glucose uptake by cells in the villi.
The root hair cells contain carrier proteins in their plasma
membranes which move the mineral ions across them into the
cell through the process of active transport. The mineral ions are
necessary for the growth of plants. Nitrate ions are required for
producing amino acids, which are used to form proteins.
Magnesium ions are needed for chlorophyll production in plants.
Active transport is also used in the process of glucose uptake by
epithelial cells in the villi of the small intestine. Epithelial cells
have numerous mitochondria in which cellular respiration takes
place. The chemical energy produced by this is converted into
kinetic energy which is used for the movement of glucose
molecules. This ensures that glucose gets transported into the
bloodstream.
Protein Carriers & AT
 Protein Carriers & AT
Active transport works by using carrier proteins
embedded in the cell membrane to pick up specific
molecules and take them through the cell membrane
against their concentration gradient:
Substance combines with carrier protein molecule in
the cell membrane
Carrier transports substances across membrane using
energy from respiration to give them the kinetic energy
needed to change shape and move the substance
through the cell membrane
Substance released into cell
 Surface area: Volume
ratio
The greater the
area of cell
surface
membrane, the
faster will be the
rate of diffusion
of a substance for
a given
concentration
gradient
Surface area: Volume
ratio
The greater the surface area to volume ratio, the
faster the rate of diffusion.

This explains why cells are so small: nutrients, oxygen

and waste substances have to diffuse into and out of
cells quickly.

Eg.
 Osmosis’ ATP
Investigating osmosis using dialysis tubing
Immersing plant cells in solutions of different concentrations
Practice Question
 Four clear agar blocks were placed into solutions of
methylene blue as shown. Which agar block would be
first to become completely stained?

A B C D

4mm 6mm
4mm
2mm
2mm 2mm 4mm
2mm 4mm
2mm 2mmRanee Mohan 2mm
 An experiment to investigate
osmosis is set up as shown. Tube X
What happens?
Volume of Concentration
the liquid of the sugar
in tube X solution Partially
A Decreases Decreases permeable
membrane
B Decreases Increases
C Increases Decreases
D Increases Increases
Ranee Mohan
 Question
Which one of the following enters plant cells by active
transport?

A. Carbon dioxide

B. Nitrate ions

C. Water

D. Oxygen
Q1: How does diffusion occur in the lung?
 Q1: How does diffusion occur in the lung?

1. Diffusion and breathing Oxygen in inhaled air diffuses through the lungs
and into the bloodstream. The oxygen is then transported throughout the
body. Carbon dioxide is the waste gas produced by respiration. Carbon
dioxide diffuses from body tissues into the bloodstream and is exhaled via
the lungs.
Alveoli are the tiny air sacs at the end of the bronchioles, in which gas
exchange occurs. deoxygenated blood (from body tissues) oxygenated
blood (to body tissues) air in/out alveolus capillary red blood cell

Alveoli have several adaptations that help to make gas exchange very
efficient: They are very thin – only one cell thick. They are covered by a
network of fine capillaries, enabling gases to pass almost directly between
the lungs and bloodstream. They are moist, encouraging gas molecules to
easily dissolve. They have a large combined surface area, allowing large
amounts of gases to be exchanged with each breath.
Q2: How are leave adapted for diffusion?
 Q2: How are leave adapted for diffusion?

Carbon dioxide diffuses in through the stomata Oxygen and water

diffuse out of the stomata carbon dioxide + water oxygen + glucose
During photosynthesis, the level of CO 2 is low inside the leaf This
creates a big concentration gradient so CO 2 diffuses into the cell
Q3: How does active transport occur in the root
hair cell?
Q4: Explain how active transport take place in
villi
 Q4: Explain how diffusion take place in villi?

Diffusion and digestion Digestion breaks down large food molecules into
smaller molecules such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids that can be
easily absorbed. Small food molecules are usually absorbed in the small
intestine, diffusing across the intestine wall and into the bloodstream. The
small intestine has these things called villi. The best way of explaining them, is
that they look like millions of little sausages. The villi INCREASE THE
OVERALL SURFACE AREA of the small intestine, thus increasing the volume
of substances which can be absorbed by diffusion. The villi have a very
GOOD BLOOD SUPPLY as each contains a capillary, which leads to the main
blood supply, so when substances diffuse, they can go straight to the
bloodstream. Attached to each villi are thousands and thousands of
MICROVILLI. These are exactly the same as the villi, except a lot smaller.
Again, the purpose of these is to further increase the surface area. Like
before, as well, this increasing the volume of substances which can be
absorbed. So, the main points to remember are: The villi and microvilli result
in a LARGE SURFACE AREA, for maximum absorption. The villi also give a
GOOD BLOOD SUPPLY to absorb the nutrients.