TRANSPORT IN CELLS

Osmosis
Osmosis is a special kind of diffusion concerned only with the movement of
water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
passing through a partially or selectively permeable membrane. Like all
substances water is moved down a concentration gradient.

Terms Relating to Osmosis

• Isotonic: Cells stay the same size.
• Hypotonic: Cells swell and may burst.
• Hypertonic: Cells shrink and become dehydrated

Isotonic Solution: describes two solutions of the same concentration separated

by a partially or selectively permeable membrane. There is no overall (net)
movement of water between the two solutions.

Hypertonic Solution: describes a solution that is more concentrated than

another for a particular substance, e.g. sugar. Note: a strong sugar solution is
high in sugar particles but low in water particles.

Hypotonic Solution: Describes a solution that is less concentrated than another

for a particular substance. Note: a weak sugar solution is low in sugar particles
but high in water particles.
How Osmosis Works

Osmosis diffuses water across a selectively permeable membrane, from a high

water potential to a low water potential. The selectively permeable membrane
on the side of the water is being continuously bombarded by water molecules
which pass through. This causes an increase in the volume of sucrose solution
and a decreases in the volume of water.

Water Potential
The water potential of a solution is a measure of the tendency of water
molecules to move from one place to another. The difference in water potential
between two solutions is known as the water potential gradient and a dilute
solution has a higher water potential than a concentrated solution.
Hypertonic: A solution with a higher concentration of solutes compared to
another solution.
Hypotonic: A solution with a lower concentration of solutes compared to
another solution.
Isotonic: When two solutions have the same concentration of solutes.
Examples of Osmosis in Plants
1. The absorption of water from the soil through the root hair cells
2. The movement of water from one living cell to the other within a plant.

Examples of Osmosis in Animals

1. The movement of water into the cytoplasm in unicellular organism such
as paramecium and Amoeba
2. Re-absorption of water in the kidney tubules of mammals.

The Effects of Osmosis on Living Cells

How Osmosis affect plant cells
In plant cells, the cell sap contains dissolved salts and sugar. If the cell sap has a
lower water potential than that of the surrounding fluids, water from the outside
enters by osmosis.

Turgidity:
As water enters plant cells it makes the cells swell up. The water pushes against
the cell wall and eventually the cell contains as much water as it can hold. It is
like a blown up balloon. The strong cell wall stops the cell from bursting but we
say that the cell is turgid. The outward pressure which the cell sap exerts against
the inside wall of the cell is known as turgor pressure.
Turgid cells are important because they give the plant support and they keep the
stems of many plants upright. When the cells lose water and are no longer firm
and turgid, we consider this as wilting and plant stems will also lose water.

Changes in turgor of the guard cell causes the opening of the stomata.

Plasmolysis:
When plant cells are placed into a strong sugar or salt solution, water passes out
of the cells by osmosis. As water passes out, the sap vacuole starts to shrink.
These cells are no longer firm, they are limp. We say that they are flaccid.
As more water leaves the cells their cell membranes start to peel away from
their cell walls. These cells are now plasmolysed.

In plants:

How Osmosis affect animal cells

The cell membrane is the partially permeable membrane in animal cells and
water enters animal cells by osmosis. However, animal cells have no cell wall to
stop them from swelling too much - so they burst! We call this haemolysis.
Comparison between plant and animal cells in isotonic, hypertonic and
hypotonic solutions

Why Osmosis?
Osmosis is crucial for cells because it helps maintain the balance of water and
solutes, which is essential for their proper function. Here are a few key reasons
why osmosis is important:
1. Nutrient Absorption: Osmosis allows cells to absorb essential nutrients
and minerals from their surroundings. For example, in the human body,
osmosis helps in the absorption of nutrients from the intestines into the
bloodstream1.
 2. Waste Removal: It also plays a role in removing waste products from
cells. For instance, osmosis helps in the excretion of waste products from
the blood through the kidneys1.
3. Cellular Stability: Osmosis helps maintain the right balance of water
inside and outside the cell, which is crucial for maintaining cell shape and
function. This balance prevents cells from shrinking or swelling
excessively2.
4. Turgor Pressure in Plants: In plant cells, osmosis helps maintain turgor
pressure, which keeps the cells rigid and supports the plant structure2.

Diffusion
Diffusion is the movement of particles from a place where they are high in
concentration to a place where they are in low concentration down a
concentration gradient until they are evenly spread. This process is a passive
type of transport which therefore does not require cellular energy.

The Importance of Diffusion

Diffusion is the main way in which substances move over short distances in
organisms and it is involved in the different life processes. Oxygen, carbon
dioxide, food and waste products are some of the substances that move by
diffusion. In animals, the substances are transported in the bloodstream, from
where they can diffuse in and out of cells.
Diffusion and States of Matter
Living organisms need to move substances around and this is possible due to
diffusion. Molecules in liquids and gases are constantly moving and bumping
into each other. This means that they tend to spread out and diffuse. By contrast,
solids cannot diffuse because in solids, the particles are tightly packed and can
only vibrate; they cannot move from place to place.

Solid e.g., ice Liquid e.g.,

water Gas e.g., steam
Examples of Diffusion
In the home:
1. When someone is cooking or baking, tiny particles of food move through
the air. The particles travel from the kitchen to all the other rooms in your
home.
2. Spraying perfume or air freshener at one corner of the room will get
diffused into the air then it can be smelled in the entire room
3. A tea bag immersed in a cup of hot water will diffuse into the water and
change the colour
In plants:
1. The exchange of gases through the stomata of plants is a typical example
of diffusion
2. loss of water vapour from leaves to the atmosphere through the process of
transpiration.

In animals:
1. Molecules of food and oxygen diffuse out of the blood and into the cells
of animals
2. Carbon dioxide and waste chemicals diffuse out of the cells and into the
blood
3. Gaseous exchange in the lungs where oxygen is diffused in and carbon
dioxide is diffused out.
4. The movement of ions across the neurons that generates electrical charge
is due to diffusion.
Diffusion through a Plasma Membrane

Factors Affecting the Rate of Diffusion

There are a few factors that affect the process of diffusion, which individually
and collectively alters the rate and extent of diffusion. These factors include:
1. Temperature- the hotter the gas or liquid, the faster diffusion happens
because the particles have more energy and move faster at higher
temperatures.
2. Area of Interaction- Increased surface area increases the rate of
diffusion
3. Mass of the Particle- Heavier molecules move more slowly; therefore,
they diffuse more slowly.
4. The steepness of the concentration gradient- The greater the difference
in concentration, the more rapid the diffusion. The closer the distribution
of the material gets to equilibrium, the slower the rate of diffusion
becomes.
5. Distance particles have to travel- The greater the distance that a
substance must travel, the slower the rate of diffusion.
Facilitated Diffusion
Facilitated diffusion is a passive movement of molecules across the cell
membrane from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration by means of a carrier molecule.

In facilitated diffusion:
1. Particles always move with (down) a concentration gradient.
2. Uses transport/channel proteins.
3. Passive transport.
4. Usually for specific molecules such as glucose.
5. Facilitated diffusion stops at equilibrium.

Active Transport
Active Transport is the uptake of particles by cells from a region of lower
concentration to a region of higher concentration against a concentration
gradient. Active transport needs energy and the assistance of membrane
proteins, such as carrier proteins. Sometimes cells can keep hold of particles and
not let them diffuse out. What’s more, they can even take in more particles
against a concentration gradient.
Examples of Active Transport
1. Uptake of glucose by epithelial cells in the villi of the small intestine and
from the kidney tubules
2. Enzyme secretion in the body
3. Release of antibodies in the body
4. Uptake of mineral ions such as magnesium from soil water by root hair
cells in plants
5. Sugars from photosynthesis moving from leaves to fruit
6. Minerals traveling through a stem to various parts of the plant
7. Calcium using energy from ATP to move between cells