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Transport Across The Cell Membrane (Diffusion

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12 views16 pages

Transport Across The Cell Membrane (Diffusion

Uploaded by

pjrhnv7kwb
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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TRANSPORT ACROSS THE CELL

MEMBRANE (DIFFUSION,
OSMOSIS AND ACTIVE
TRANSPORT)

PVS THE TUTOR ZAMBIA


INTRODUCTION
• Substances enter or leave cells through the cell membrane using three main
processes which are diffusion, osmosis and active transport.
DIFFUSION

• This is the movement of particles from their region of


higher concentration to their region of lower
concentration (down a concentration gradient).
Factors that affect the rate of Diffusion

• Concentration gradient: This refers to the difference in concentration of


particles between two regions. The higher the concentration gradient, the
faster the diffusion rate.
• Surface area of Diffusion Surface: The larger the surface area of the
diffusion surface, the faster the rate of diffusion.
• Thickness of Diffusion Surface: The thinner the diffusion surface, the
faster the diffusion rate.
CONTINUATION
• Temperature: Increase in temperature increases the kinetic energy of
particles causing them to diffuse at a faster rate.
• Size of Diffusing Particles: The bigger the diffusing particles, the slower
the diffusion rate; the smaller the diffusing particles, the faster the diffusion
rate.
Importance of Diffusion

• Diffusion is important in living organisms in the following ways:


• Oxygen moves from the lungs to the blood and from the blood to the tissue cells by diffusion.
• Carbon dioxide moves from the tissue cells to the blood and from the blood to the lungs by diffusion.
• Dissolved food moves from the blood into the tissue cells by diffusion.
• Metabolic wastes such as urea move from the tissue cells into the blood by diffusion.
• Carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis by plants moves from the atmosphere into the leaves by diffusion.
• Oxygen produced during photosynthesis moves out of the leaves to the atmosphere by diffusion.
• Water vapour moves out of the air spaces of leaves to the atmosphere during transpiration by diffusion
Osmosis

• Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a region of higher


water potential to a region of lower water potential through a selectively
permeable membrane.
• Water potential is a measure of the capacity or tendency of water molecules
to move from one solution to another.
• Distilled water has the highest water potential. The more concentrated a
solution becomes, the less its water potential becomes.
A selectively permeable membrane can allow water molecules to pass through
because of their small size but cannot allow solute molecules to pass through
because of their big size. The following diagram illustrates what occurs during
osmosis.
Effects of Osmosis in Living Organisms

• The cells, tissues, organs and systems of living organisms are always exposed to body fluids or
solutions of different concentrations.
• There are three types of solutions an organism may be exposed to, namely hypotonic, isotonic
and hypertonic solutions.
• A hypotonic solution is one whose concentration is lower than the concentration inside a living
cell.
• An isotonic solution is one whose concentration is equal to the concentration inside a living
cell. Isotonic solutions have no net osmotic effects in living organisms because a dynamic
equilibrium exists between them and the living cells.
• A hypertonic solution is one whose concentration is higher than the concentration inside a
living cell.
Effects of Osmosis in Animals
• cell lysis.
When an animal cell such as a red blood cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, it gains water by
osmosis because the water potential of the hypotonic solution is higher the water potential
inside the cell. As a result, it swells and eventually bursts. The bursting of an animal cell due to
osmotic gain of water is called cell lysis
CELL CRENATION

• When an animal cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, it loses water by osmosis because the
water potential inside the cell is higher than the water potential of the hypertonic solution.
As a result, it shrinks and crinkles/wrinkles. The shrinking and crinkling of an animal cell
due to osmotic loss of water is called crenation
EFFECTS OF OSMOSIS IN PLANTS

• Cell turgidity
When a plant cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, it gains water by osmosis because the water potential
of the hypotonic solution is higher than the water potential inside the plant cell. As a result, its protoplasm
swells and eventually starts pressing against the cell wall. The condition where the protoplasm of a plant
cell presses against the cell wall due to osmotic gain of water is called turgidity
Cell plasmolysis
• When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, it loses water by osmosis because the
water potential inside the cell is higher than the water potential of the hypertonic solution.
As a result, its protoplasm shrinks and pulls away from the cell wall. The condition where
the protoplasm of a plant cell pulls away from the cell wall due to osmotic loss of water is
called plasmolysis. A plant cell that is undergoing plasmolysis is said to be plasmolysed.
WILTING
• When a plant tissue such as a peeled potato tuber is placed in a hypotonic
solution, it gains water by osmosis and becomes bigger and more firm.
• The presence of water in plant tissues forms a hydrostatic skeleton which
renders mechanical support to the entire plant When a plant tissue such as a
peeled potato tuber is placed in a hypertonic solution, it loses water by
osmosis and becomes flaccid/flabby (smaller and weaker).
•
CONTI…
• In a living plant, this leads to a condition called wilting. Wilting is the
sagging of delicate plant parts such as leaves, flowers and young stems due
loss of water. Temporary wilting is one which can be reversed by supplying
a plant with water. Permanent wilting can not be reversed even if a plant is
supplied with water the plant tissues have already died. Suggest why it is not
advisable to apply too much fertilizer on plants.
TH END
• THE END

PVS THE TUTOR

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