Diffusion is the spontaneous movement of a substance down its concentration grad

ient, with no energy investment.

Molecules move randomly, yet diffusion of a population of molecules may be direc
tional.
Diffusion occurs until dynamic equilibrium is reached.
Diffusion of a substance occurs because concentration gradient of substance favo
urs the movement in that direction.
Diffusion= passive transport, does not need expend energy to make it happen => c
oncentration gradient represents potential energy & drives diffusion
2 types of diffusion:
A) simple diffusion:
- Refers to the movement of small, non-polar molecules through a cell me
mbrane down a concentration gradient without the help of transport proteins
- No energy required for the process
- Non-polar, small molecules are able to pass through the cell membrane
by simple diffusion (WHY)=> able to pass through the hydrophobic core of the pho
spholipid bilayer + small enough to pass through the pores of cell membrane
B) facilitated diffusion:
- Movement of specific, polar molecules through the cell membrane down i
ts concentration gradient with the help of specific transport proteins
- (WHY) polar molecules and ions cannot pass through the cell membrane a
s they are impeded by the hydrophobic core of the phospholipid bilayer.
- No energy input required = passive transport
- Transport proteins are very specific and transport some substances but
not the others
- 2 types of transport proteins: channel and carrier
- Channel proteins:
1. provide hydrophilic channel that allows specific molecules and ions t
o cross the membrane
2. hydrophilic passageways
provided by channel proteins allow small polar molecules & small ions to diffuse
very quickly from one side of the membrane to the other.
3.channel proteins that transport ions are called ion channels
- Carrier proteins:
1. Carrier proteins seem to undergo a subtle change in shape that someho
w translocate the solute-binding site across the membrane. This change in shape
may be triggered by the binding and release of the transported molecule.
Osmosis
- The diffusion of free water molecules across a selectively permeable m
embrane, artificial or cellular.
- Water diffuses from a region of lower solute concentration (higher wat
er potential) to a region of higher solute concentration (lower water potential)
until dynamic equilibrium is reached.
- (WHY) Membranes are selectively permeable and the hydrophobic core of
the phospholipid bilayer prevents polar water molecules from passing through.
- Hence, diffusion of water molecules through the membrane of certain ce
lls is greatly facilitated by channel proteins known as aquaporins
Active transport
- Uses energy to move solutes across their concentration gradients.
- To pump solutes across a membrane against their concentration gradient
requires work, the cell must expend energy = active transport
- Transport proteins that move solutes against their concentration gradi
ents are all carrier proteins, none channel proteins
- Active transport enables a cell to maintain internal concentration of
small solutes that differ from concentration in its environment.
- ATP supplies energy for most active transport. One way ATP can power a
ctive transport is to transfer its terminal phosphate group directly to the carr
ier protein. This can induce the carrier protein to change its shape in a manner
that translocate the solute bound to the protein across the membrane. (One tran

sport system that works this way= sodium-potassium pump

Endocytosis:
- Caused by an infolding or inward extension of the cell surface membran
e to form a vesicle or a vacuole.
- Function: to take in/acquire macromolecules and particulate matter
- General process: small area of plasma membrane sinks inwards to form a
pocket. Pocket deepens, pinches in, form vesicle containing material that had b
een outside the cell.
- 3 types: a. Phagocytosis, b. Pinocytosis, c. Receptor- mediated endocy
tosis
- Phagocytosis:
A. A cell engulfs a particle by wrapping pseudopodia around it, and pack
aging it within a membranous sac called food vacuole.
B. The particle is ingested after the food vacuole fuses with a lysosome
containing hydrolytic enzymes.
C. Phagocytosis only occurs in specialised cells like neutrophils (phago
cytes I think)
- Pinocytosis:
A. A small area of the plasma membrane invaginates to uptake small dropl
ets of the extracellular fluid.
B. It is not the extracellular fluid that is needed by the cell but the
molecules dissolved in the extracellular fluid.
C. As any and all included solutes are taken in by the cell, pinocytosis
is nonspecific in the substances it transports.
- Receptor-mediated endocytosis:
A. Receptor-mediated endocytosis allows a cell to acquire bulk quantitie
s of specific substances even if the substance is presented in low concentration
s in the extracellular fluid.
B. Embedded in the cell membrane are proteins with specific receptor sit
es, exposed to the extracellular fluid, to which specific (ligand) molecules bin
d to.
C. The receptor proteins then cluster in regions of the membrane called
the coated pits, which are lined on their cytoplasmic side by a fuzzy layer of c
oat proteins. The coated pit then forms a vesicle containing the ligand molecule
s.
D. Once the ingested materials are liberated from the vesicle, the empti
ed receptors are then recycled back to the plasma membrane by the same vesicle.
Exocytosis:
A. Secretion of macromolecules (waste materials, hormones, antibodies) b
y fusion of vesicles with the plasma membrane.
B. Process:
1. Secretory vesicles bud/pinch off from the Golgi body and moves along
microtubules to the plasma membrane.
2. When in contact, the lipid molecules in the two bilayers rearrange th
emselves so that the 2 membranes fuse.
3. The contents of the secretory vesicles is released to the outside of
the cell.
C. Functions: a. Important in osmoregulation, b. Export of manufactured
products.