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Biology Chapter3

Cells take in nutrients and remove waste through three main processes: diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. Diffusion is the passive movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of higher water potential to lower. Active transport moves particles against a concentration gradient by using energy from cellular respiration. These processes allow cells to maintain homeostasis.

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17 views

Biology Chapter3

Cells take in nutrients and remove waste through three main processes: diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. Diffusion is the passive movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of higher water potential to lower. Active transport moves particles against a concentration gradient by using energy from cellular respiration. These processes allow cells to maintain homeostasis.

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Prince JASHWANTH ADITHYA
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 3: Movement in and out of cells

Movement into and out of cells


• Particles such as atoms, ions and molecules are
always moving in and out of the cells
• Cells needs to take in nutrients such as glucose
& amino acids
• Cells needs to get rid of metabolic wastes such
as carbon dioxide & urea
• Substances move in and out of cell through
processes such as:
1) Diffusion
2) Osmosis &
3) Active transport
Diffusion: How Diffusion Works?

• Diffusion is the net 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 another substance is dissolved
• water is the major solvent in biological systems
• solute is the substance which dissolves in the solvent
• glucose, oxygen & carbon dioxide are some of the most common solutes in biological systems
• concentration gradient is the difference in concentrations of an ion or molecule between two places
• concentration gradient is used to explain the movement of a substance from the inside to the
outside of cell or from the outside to the inside of a cell
• some major examples of diffusion in biological systems;
• gas exchange at the alveoli of the lungs - oxygen diffuses from air to blood, carbon dioxide
diffuses from blood to air,
• gas exchange for photosynthesis in plants - carbon dioxide diffuses from air to leaf, oxygen
diffuses from leaf to air through the stomata,
• absorption of nutrients along the gut - glucose & amino acids diffuses from the small intestine into
the blood,
• absorption of water & dissolved mineral ions into the root hairs.
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 transport - everything
transported in blood, phloem & xylem must be
soluble in water
• Chemical reactions occur in water - cytoplasm is
mostly water so reactions can occur
• Plants store water soluble substances such as
mineral ions & sugars in cell vacuoles
• Some major examples of osmosis in biological
systems;
• Absorption of water by plant roots,
• Reabsorption of water along the kidney tubules,
• Reabsorption of tissue fluid into the venule ends
of the blood capillaries,
• Absorption of water along the alimentary canal -
stomach, small intestine & the colon.
Importance of water potential gradient:
• Water potential is the tendency for water
molecules to move by diffusion from a
dilute solution to a concentrated solution
through a semi-permeable solution
• Water potential gradient is the difference
in the concentration of water molecules
• A dilute solution has a higher water
potential & water molecules will tend to
move from it, down a water potential
gradient, into a concentrated solution
Importance of water potential gradient:
• Plant cells increase in size when placed in water because
- water has a higher water potential than the inside of the
cell, water diffuses into the cell down the water potential
gradient by osmosis, the cell vacuole increases in
volume pushing the cytoplasm and cell membrane
against cell wall making the cell to swell – the cell
becomes turgid.
• Plant cells decrease in size when placed in concentrated
salt solution because - a concentrated salt solution has a
lower water potential than the cell contents, water
molecules diffuses out of the cell down a water potential
gradient by osmosis, the cell vacuole shrinks, pulling the
cytoplasm and cell membrane away from the cell wall -
the cell become plasmolysed.
Active transport:
• Active transport is the movement of ions in or
out of a cell through the cell membrane, from a
region of their lower concentration to a region
of their higher concentration against a
concentration gradient, using energy released
during respiration
• During active transport, special proteins within
the cell membrane act as carrier proteins in cell
membrane, they move ions or molecules against
their concentration gradient into or out of the
cell
• Carrier proteins change shape and this requires
energy in form of ATP from respiration
1)Sodium-Potassium Exchange Pump
2) Proton pump
Importance of active transport:
• Active transport is an energy-consuming process by which
substances are transported against a concentration gradient
• Examples of active transport in biological systems includes:
• Uptake of mineral ions by root hairs
• Uptake of glucose & amino acids by epithelial cells of villi
• Reabsorption of glucose, amino acids and salts by the
kidney
• Cells that move ions against their concentration gradient
such root hair cells has large number of mitochondria to
produce energy required for active transport
• Factors such as oxygen concentration, glucose concentration
& temperature which affect the rate of respiration also
affects the rate of active transport

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