CHAPTER 2

Movement in and out of cells

 Movement of Substances

2.1 Diffusion
2.2 Osmosis
2.1 Diffusion

Learning Outcomes
After this section, you should be able to:
• define diffusion; and
• discuss the importance of diffusion in nutrient
uptake and gaseous exchange in plants and
humans.
2.1 Diffusion

How do particles move?

Think of a time when you detected the smell of
perfume in a room. How has the smell travelled to
your nose?
Region A with higher Region B with lower
concentration of particles concentration of particles

Movement of particles
2.1 Diffusion

What is diffusion?

Diffusion is the net movement of particles from

a region of higher concentration to a region of
lower concentration.
2.1 Diffusion

Concentration gradient
Concentration gradient is the difference in
concentration between two regions.
direction of movement of particles

molecules diffuse
down a concentration
gradient
Concentration

Distance
Point A Point B
2.1 Diffusion

Diffusion of a dissolved substance

1. A copper sulfate crystal is

dropped into a gas jar
gas jar containing water.
2. The gas jar is allowed to
water stand for a few days.
3. The blue colour gradually
copper spreads throughout the water.
sulfate
crystal 4. The copper sulfate particles
diffuse evenly throughout the
water.
2.1 Diffusion

How is a concentration gradient

related to diffusion?

• The movement of particles/molecules is random.

• Particles will diffuse down their concentration
gradient.
• The steeper the concentration gradient, the faster
the rate of diffusion.
 2.1 Diffusion

Diffusion across a membrane

• Both the copper sulfate and potassium iodide
particles are able to pass through a permeable
membrane.
permeable Notes:
membrane 1) The dissolved copper sulfate particles
will diffuse across the membrane to the
potassium iodide
particle left side of the beaker.
2) The dissolved potassium iodide particles
will diffuse across the membrane to the
right side of the beaker.
3) There will be equal concentrations of
both types of particles on the two sides
Copper sulfate and of the membrane after some time.
copper sulfate potassium iodide particles
particle evenly distributed
2.1 Diffusion

Examples of diffusion
in living organisms

• In the human lungs, oxygen diffuses from the air

spaces in the lungs into the blood.
• Carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the air
spaces in our lungs.

O2

CO2
2.1 Diffusion

Examples of diffusion
in living organisms

• In the small intestine, nutrients such as glucose and

amino acids are absorbed via diffusion.
amino acid glucose
2.1 Diffusion

Examples of diffusion
in living organisms
• In plant roots, oxygen enters the root hair cell via
diffusion.
• Carbon dioxide leaves the root hair cell via diffusion.

CO2
O2
2.1 Diffusion

Examples of diffusion
in living organisms
• In the presence of sunlight, carbon dioxide enters
the leaves through the stomata, via diffusion.
• Oxygen gas passes out of the leaves through the
stomata, via diffusion.
Chapter Movement of Substances
2

2.1 Diffusion
2.2 Osmosis
2.2 Osmosis

Learning Outcomes
After this section, you should be able to:
• define osmosis; and
• discuss the effects of osmosis on plant and animal
tissues.
 2.2 Osmosis

What is osmosis?
A partially permeable membrane allows some
substances to pass through it but not others.
A B 5% sucrose Notes:
10% sucrose solution solution Arm A contains more
(less water, more (more water, less sucrose molecules per
sucrose) sucrose) unit volume than arm
sucrose B.
molecule Arm A also contains
less water molecules
per unit volume than
water molecule arm B.
partially
permeable
membrane
2.2 Osmosis

What is osmosis?
The partially permeable membrane allows water
molecules to pass through but not sucrose molecules.
rise in level of A B drop in level due to
solution movement of water
molecules to A

partially permeable
membrane
 2.2 Osmosis

How can we demonstrate osmosis?

1. An experiment is set up as
shown. thistle
funnel
2. The level of the solution in retort
the thistle funnel is observed stand
to rise. sucrose
solution
3. This is due to water
molecules moving into the cellophane
thistle funnel from the paper
beaker. beaker
water
Notes:
The cellophane paper acts as a partially permeable membrane that allows
only water molecules to pass through but not sucrose molecules.
As there are more water molecules in the beaker than in the thistle funnel,
water moves across the cellophane paper into the thistle funnel by osmosis.
2.2 Osmosis

What is water potential and how

is it related to osmosis?
• The tendency of water molecules to move from one place
to another is known as water potential.
• A dilute solution has more water molecules per unit volume,
therefore, has a higher water potential.
• A concentrated solution has lesser water molecules per unit
volume, therefore, a lower water potential.
sucrose molecule

Concentrated
solution
Dilute
solution
 2.2 Osmosis

What is water potential and how

is it related to osmosis?
A water potential gradient is established when a partially
permeable membrane separates two solutions of different water
potentials. Water molecules move from a higher water potential
to a lower water potential.
partially
permeable
membrane
more solute, less solute,
lower water higher water
potential potential

water potential
gradient established
water moves down the gradient
2.2 Osmosis

What is osmosis?

Osmosis is the net movement of water

molecules from a solution of higher water
potential to a solution of lower water potential,
through a partially permeable membrane.

RL
2.2 Osmosis

How does osmosis affect

living organisms?
Osmosis can occur in cells.
Plant cell
Animal cell
partially permeable
cell membrane

fully permeable
cellulose cell wall

enclosed nucleus and

cytoplasm containing
various dissolved
substances
2.2 Osmosis

What happens to a cell in a solution

with higher water potential?
1 Cell sap has lower
water potential than
surrounding solution 2 Water enters
by osmosis
cell sap in vacuole
in solution of higher
water potential

plant cell 3 Cell expands and

becomes turgid. The
cell wall protects the
cell from bursting.
2.2 Osmosis

What happens to a cell in a solution

with higher water potential?

1 Cytoplasm has lower 2 Water enters 3 Cell swells/

water potential than by osmosis expands and
surrounding solution bursts.

in solution of higher
water potential

animal cell
2.2 Osmosis

What happens to a cell in a solution

with lower water potential?
cell sap in vacuole

in solution with low

water potential

plant cell
2 Water leaves
1 Cell sap has higher by osmosis 3 Cytoplasm shrinks
water potential than away from cell wall
surrounding solution and cell becomes
plasmolysed. Cell
becomes flaccid
2.2 Osmosis

What happens to a cell in a solution

with lower water potential?

1 cytoplasm has higher 2 water leaves 3 cell shrinks

water potential than by osmosis little spikes
surrounding solution appears. This
in solution of lower is called
water potential crenation.

animal cell
2.2 Osmosis

What happens to a cell in a solution

of the same water potential?

A cell immersed in a solution with the same water

potential as its cytoplasm will not change in its size
or shape.
This is because equal amount of water moves into
and out of the cell at any point in time.
2.2 Osmosis

Why is turgor important in plants?

• Turgor pressure plays an important role in
maintaining the shape of soft tissues in plants.
• It keeps leaves firm and stems of non-woody or
young plants stay upright.
• Loss of turgidity causes the plant to wilt.
2.2 Osmosis

Why is turgor important in plants?

• Changes in turgor also cause the movements of some

plant parts, e.g. opening and closing of stomata.

turgor in guard cells lack of turgor in guard

causes stoma to cells causes stoma to
open in the day close at night
Chapter Movement of Substances
2