Processes in cells

In and out
DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS
 DIFFUSION

• is the movement of liquid or a gas molecules

from a high concentration to a low
concentration until the substance is evenly
spread.
• important as it lets food and oxygen into a cell
and waste products such as carbon dioxide out
of the cell
How does a scent spread through
a gas?
MOLECULES IN SOLUTION TEND TO SLOWLY SPREAD APART
OVER TIME. THIS IS DIFFUSION.
How Does a Dye Spread
Through a Liquid?
How Does Heat Effect the Spread of
Dye Through a Liquid?
 OSMOSIS

• osmosis is the movement of water molecules,

• from a region of high water concentration

to a region of low water concentration

• across a selectively permeable membrane.
 SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE

• a membrane controls what goes in and out of the cell.

• permeable means it allows substances to go through it.

• a selectively permeable membrane is a membrane

with holes in it small enough for water to go through it
easily.
• big molecules like starch can not fit through easily
 Model of a
Selectively Permeable Membrane

Water

Starch
Small molecules, such Large molecules like starch
as water can pass cannot pass through the
through it. membrane
Osmosis – what will happen?

Water
The water molecules pass
Starch
both ways through the
membrane
The overall flow of water
molecules is from a region
with lots of water
molecules to region of
less water molecules.
Lots of water Few water Until both sides have an
molecules molecules
evenly balanced water
concentration.
 WHICH MOLECULES WILL DIFFUSE
IN EACH OF THE FIGURES BELOW?
1 2 3 4

5 6
 ANSWERS
1 2 3 4

No Movement

5 6

No Movement
 SUMMARY
• osmosis is the movement of water
molecules across a selectively permeable
membrane.
• the membrane only allows small molecules to
pass through it, large molecules can not pass
through the membrane.
• water molecules move into the region where
there are less water molecules
• the water acts to even up the concentration
of water on either side of the membrane.
QUESTIONS

1. COMPLETE QUESTION 3.1. TO 3.3

2. DRAW TWO DIAGRAMS COMPARING OSMOSIS AND DIFFUSION, INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING WORDS
• CONCENTRATION
• PARTIALLY PERMEABLE
• CELL PLASMA MEMBRANE
• HIGH/LOW

3. UNDERNEATH INCLUDE A SINGLE SENTENCE WHICH EXPLAINS ALL ASPECTS

OF THE PROCESS IN A SINGLE CONCISE SENTENCE
• THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE THE DEFINITION OF OSMOSIS AND
DIFFUSION IS ASKED REGULARLY
 PLANT CELLS IN WATER

in pure water – water will

Plant cell placed in
pure water move in swelling the
vacuole which pushes out
against the cell wall.

Water moves the cell does not burst

Into the cell
because of the cell wall.
PLANT CELL IN STRONG SUGAR
SOLUTION
In a strong salt or sugar
Strong Sugar/Salt solution – water will move
Solution
out of the vacuole causing it
to shrink.
The cytoplasm can also
shrink away from the cell
wall.
The plant cell is described as
flaccid.
ANIMAL CELLS IN DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS

• a red blood cell in pure water, water will

move into the cell and the cell will burst (there
is no cell wall to prevent this happening)
• in a strong salt/sugar solution water will
move out and the cell will shrink
MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF CELLS
 MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF CELLS

• PARTICLES SUCH AS • SUBSTANCES MOVE IN

ATOMS, IONS AND AND OUT OF CELL
MOLECULES ARE ALWAYS
THROUGH
MOVING IN AND OUT OF
THE CELLS
PROCESSES SUCH AS:
• DIFFUSION;
• CELLS NEEDS TO TAKE IN
NUTRIENTS SUCH AS • OSMOSIS &
GLUCOSE & AMINO ACIDS • ACTIVE TRANSPORT
• CELLS NEEDS TO GET RID
OF METABOLIC WASTES
SUCH AS CARBON DIOXIDE
& UREA
 DIFFUSION

HOW DIFFUSION • DIFFUSION IS THE NET

WORKS; MOVEMENT OF
MOLECULES, FROM A
REGION OF THEIR
HIGHER CONCENTRATION
TO A REGION OF THEIR
LOWER CONCENTRATION
I.E. DOWN A
CONCENTRATION
GRADIENT AS A RESULT
OF THEIR RANDOM
MOVEMENT
 IMPORTANCE OF DIFFUSION

• SOLVENT IS A SUBSTANCE IN WHICH • SOME MAJOR EXAMPLES OF DIFFUSION

ANOTHER SUBSTANCE IS DISSOLVED IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS;
• WATER IS THE MAJOR SOLVENT IN • GAS EXCHANGE AT THE ALVEOLI OF
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THE LUNGS - OXYGEN DIFFUSES FROM
• SOLUTE IS THE SUBSTANCE WHICH AIR TO BLOOD, CARBON DIOXIDE
DISSOLVES IN THE SOLVENT DIFFUSES FROM BLOOD TO AIR,
• GLUCOSE, OXYGEN & CARBON DIOXIDE • GAS EXCHANGE FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON IN PLANTS - CARBON DIOXIDE
SOLUTES IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS DIFFUSES FROM AIR TO LEAF, OXYGEN
• CONCENTRATION GRADIENT IS THE DIFFUSES FROM LEAF TO AIR THROUGH
THE STOMATA,
DIFFERENCE IN CONCENTRATIONS OF AN
ION OR MOLECULE BETWEEN TWO • ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS ALONG
PLACES THE GUT - GLUCOSE & AMINO ACIDS
DIFFUSES FROM THE SMALL INTESTINE
• CONCENTRATION GRADIENT IS USED TO
INTO THE BLOOD,
EXPLAIN THE MOVEMENT OF A
• ABSORPTION OF WATER & DISSOLVED
SUBSTANCE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE
OUTSIDE OF CELL OR FROM THE OUTSIDE MINERAL IONS INTO THE ROOT HAIRS.
TO THE INSIDE OF A CELL
QUESTIONS
1. Complete questions 3.4 to 3.7
2. The stomata allows plants to exchange gas with its
surroundings, give three facts about how it opens and closes
that have to do with diffusion, osmosis or active transport (3)?
 OSMOSIS

HOW OSMOSIS WORKS; • OSMOSIS IS THE

DIFFUSION OF WATER
MOLECULES FROM A
REGION, OF THEIR HIGHER
CONCENTRATION (WITH A
DILUTE SOLUTION), TO A
REGION, OF THEIR LOWER
CONCENTRATION (WITH A
CONCENTRATED
SOLUTION) THROUGH A
PARTIALLY PERMEABLE
MEMBRANE
 IMPORTANCE OF OSMOSIS

• WATER IS THE MEDIUM OF • SOME MAJOR EXAMPLES OF

TRANSPORT - EVERYTHING OSMOSIS IN BIOLOGICAL
TRANSPORTED IN BLOOD, SYSTEMS;
PHLOEM & XYLEM MUST BE • ABSORPTION OF WATER BY
SOLUBLE IN WATER PLANT ROOTS,
• CHEMICAL REACTIONS OCCUR • REABSORPTION OF WATER
IN WATER - CYTOPLASM IS ALONG THE KIDNEY TUBULES,

MOSTLY WATER SO • REABSORPTION OF TISSUE

FLUID INTO THE VENULE ENDS
REACTIONS CAN OCCUR
OF THE BLOOD CAPILLARIES,
• PLANTS STORE WATER
• ABSORPTION OF WATER
SOLUBLE SUBSTANCES SUCH ALONG THE ALIMENTARY
AS MINERAL IONS & SUGARS CANAL -STOMACH, SMALL
IN CELL VACUOLES INTESTINE & THE COLON.
 IMPORTANCE OF WATER POTENTIAL
GRADIENT
• WATER POTENTIAL IS THE TENDENCY • PLANT CELLS INCREASE IN SIZE WHEN
PLACED IN WATER BECAUSE - WATER HAS A
FOR WATER MOLECULES TO MOVE BY
HIGHER WATER POTENTIAL THAN THE INSIDE
DIFFUSION FROM A DILUTE SOLUTION OF THE CELL, WATER DIFFUSES INTO THE
TO A CONCENTRATED SOLUTION CELL DOWN THE WATER POTENTIAL
THROUGH A SEMI-PERMEABLE GRADIENT BY OSMOSIS, THE CELL VACUOLE
SOLUTION INCREASES IN VOLUME PUSHING THE
CYTOPLASM AND CELL MEMBRANE AGAINST
• WATER POTENTIAL GRADIENT IS THE CELL WALL MAKING THE CELL TO SWELL –
DIFFERENCE IN THE CONCENTRATION THE CELL BECOMES TURGID
OF WATER MOLECULES • PLANT CELLS DECREASE IN SIZE WHEN
PLACED IN CONCENTRATED SALT SOLUTION
• A DILUTE SOLUTION HAS A HIGHER
BECAUSE - A CONCENTRATED SALT
WATER POTENTIAL & WATER SOLUTION HAS A LOWER WATER POTENTIAL
MOLECULES WILL TEND TO MOVE THAN THE CELL CONTENTS, WATER
FROM IT, DOWN A WATER POTENTIAL MOLECULES DIFFUSES OUT OF THE CELL
DOWN A WATER POTENTIAL GRADIENT BY
GRADIENT, INTO A CONCENTRATED
OSMOSIS, THE CELL VACUOLE SHRINKS,
SOLUTION PULLING THE CYTOPLASM AND CELL
MEMBRANE AWAY FROM THE CELL WALL -
THE CELL BECOME PLASMOLYSED
 TURGOR

• TURGOR IS THE PRESSURE • ROLE OF TURGOR IN

OF THE SWOLLEN CELL PLANTS;
CONTENTS AGAINST THE
• MECHANICAL SUPPORT
CELL WALL WHEN THE
FOR SOFT NON-WOODY
EXTERNAL SOLUTION HAS
TISSUE, E.G., LEAVES,
HIGHER WATER POTENTIAL
THAN THE CELL SAP OF THE • CHANGE IN SHAPE OF
VACUOLE. GUARD CELLS FORMING
• TURGOR PRESSURE DOES THE STOMATAL OPENING
NOT CAUSE THE PLANT BETWEEN THEM &
CELLS TO BURST BECAUSE • ENLARGEMENT OF
OF THE PRESENCE OF CELL YOUNG IMMATURE PLANT
WALL CELLS TO MATURE SIZE.
QUESTIONS

1. Complete 3.8 to 3.15

 ACTIVE TRANSPORT

• ACTIVE TRANSPORT IS THE • DURING ACTIVE TRANSPORT,

MOVEMENT OF IONS IN OR SPECIAL PROTEINS WITHIN
OUT OF A CELL THROUGH THE CELL MEMBRANE ACT AS
THE CELL MEMBRANE, CARRIER PROTEINS IN CELL
FROM A REGION OF THEIR MEMBRANE, THEY MOVE
LOWER CONCENTRATION IONS OR MOLECULES
TO A REGION OF THEIR AGAINST THEIR
HIGHER CONCENTRATION CONCENTRATION GRADIENT
INTO OR OUT OF THE CELL
AGAINST A
CONCENTRATION • CARRIER PROTEINS CHANGE
GRADIENT, USING ENERGY SHAPE AND THIS REQUIRES
RELEASED DURING ENERGY IN FORM OF ATP
RESPIRATION FROM RESPIRATION
SODIUM-POTASSIUM EXCHANGE
PUMP
 IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE TRANSPORT

• ACTIVE TRANSPORT IS AN ENERGY- • CELLS THAT MOVE IONS AGAINST

CONSUMING PROCESS BY WHICH THEIR CONCENTRATION
SUBSTANCES ARE TRANSPORTED GRADIENT SUCH ROOT HAIR
AGAINST A CONCENTRATION CELLS HAS LARGE NUMBER OF
GRADIENT
MITOCHONDRIA TO PRODUCE
• EXAMPLES OF ACTIVE TRANSPORT ENERGY REQUIRED FOR ACTIVE
IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS INCLUDES;
TRANSPORT
• UPTAKE OF MINERAL IONS BY
ROOT HAIRS • FACTORS SUCH AS OXYGEN
• UPTAKE OF GLUCOSE & AMINO CONCENTRATION, GLUCOSE
ACIDS BY EPITHELIAL CELLS OF CONCENTRATION &
VILLI TEMPERATURE WHICH AFFECT
• REABSORPTION OF GLUCOSE, THE RATE OF RESPIRATION ALSO
AMINO ACIDS AND SALTS BY THE
AFFECTS THE RATE OF ACTIVE
PROXIMAL CONVOLUTED TUBULE
TRANSPORT
OF THE NEPHRON IN THE KIDNEY
 Diffusion
• Movement of particles
within a gas or liquid
• From a region of high
concentration to low
concentration
• Until an equilibrium is
reached
 Partially permeable membrane
• A cell membrane can
allow some substances in
but also excludes some
substances
• It is thus permeable to
some substances
(generally small
molecules)
• It is impermeable to
other substances (polar
molecules)
 Adaptations to improve diffusion
• A large surface area
– As the area through which substances can pass
increases, so does the speed at which equilibrium
can be reached
– So a large surface like the intestine with many
folds increases the surface area, so absorption can
occur quickly
• Special thin membranes
– Thin membrane means the speed of diffusion is
faster
 Osmosis
• Special diffusion
• Only concerns water
• Movement across a
semi-permeable
membrane
• From a high water
potential to a low
water potential
• Down a water potential
gradient
 Cells and osmosis
• Plant cells walls limit the expansion of a cell
which is dropped in water
• The high water potential (concentration) of the
water compared to the low potential of the cell
results in water moving into the cell
• The cytoplasm thus becomes full of water and
the outcome is an increase in the size of the
cell
• Because of the cell wall, the cell wont burst
 Active transport
• If no concentration gradient exists, diffusion
cannot take place.
• Substances needed by the cell must thus
move into the cell membrane another way
• This involves special structures called carrier
proteins
• They use energy to move molecules across the
membrane against the concentration gradient
Active transport
 Phagocytosis
• If the object is too large to be absorbed
through diffusion or active transport. It is
eaten (engulfed)
• The cell when it has completely surrounded
the object, removes the cell membrane and
then the object has entered the cell
• Generally used by micro-organisms, like the
amoeba, to eat other micro-organisms
Phagocytosis
 Questions
1. END-of-chapter Questions Chapter3
2. Which movement is against the
concentration gradient (1)?
3. How does osmoregulation prevent cells from
getting too much or too little water (3)?
4. Which kinds of organic molecules cannot
pass through the cell membrane (2)?