MOVEMENT

IN AND OUT OF
CELLS
 Cell needs food for energy and build their
cell structure
 Need salt and water for chemical reactions
 Need to get rid of substances like carbon

dioxide

 Substances may pass through the cell

membrane either by diffusion ( passive) or
active transport ( active)
 DIFFUSION
 Diffusion is the net movement of molecules and
ions from a region of their higher concentration
to a region of their lower concentration down a
concentration gradient , as a result of their
random movement .
 Passive process , so no energy is needed
 Diffusion tends to equalise the concentration of

the molecules inside ad outside the cell all the

time.
 3
Representation of molecules in a gas

(a) (b)

As a result of their random movements the

molecules become evenly distributed
Diffusion 7

gradient
The molecules are more densely packed on
the left and so they tend to diffuse into the
space on the right. This is a diffusion
gradient

A diffusion gradient
 6

One of the ways substances enter and leave cells

is by diffusion

If a substance is more concentrated outside a cell

than inside, the molecules will tend to diffuse
into the cell

If a substance is more concentrated inside the

cell than outside, the molecules will tend to
diffuse out of the cell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71MSBEwMGD
 10

Because the cell is using up oxygen, the

concentration of oxygen inside the cell is
always lower then the concentration
outside.

The diffusion gradient is maintained

So oxygen continues to diffuse in.

Similarly carbon dioxide diffuse out of the cell.
 18

Humans obtain their oxygen by diffusion

But not through the skin

Although the skin is well supplied with blood

vessels, there are too many layers of cells for
diffusion to be fast enough

Humans have lungs and it is in these lungs

that diffusion occurs
Lung Structure 20

each tube ends up in

a cluster of tiny air
sacs.

the air passages in the lung

branch into finer and finer tubes
A single air 21
sac blood supply to air sac

diffusion of
oxygen

air breathed
in and out
diffusion of
carbon dioxide
O2

CO2
0.03 mm

question 4
 22

In mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibia,

oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged by
diffusion in the lungs

In fish, this exchange of gases takes place by

diffusion through the gills

The oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into

the blood vessels in the gills.
 24

Diffusion takes place through the surface of the gills

Diffusion is a slow process

The branching gill filaments offer a big surface
area through which oxygen and carbon dioxide
can diffuse
In this way, the total diffusion through the gills is
greatly increased
The millions of air sacs in the lungs also vastly
increase the area through which the gases can
diffuse
 25
Plants
Plants have no special organs for breathing

They have to rely on diffusion for their supplies

of oxygen and carbon dioxide
There are pores in the leaves and stems through
which the gases diffuse
In daylight, CO2 (for photosynthesis) will be
diffusing in and O2 will be diffusing out
In darkness, O2 will diffuse in and CO2 will diffuse
out as a result of respiration
 26
Leaf

O2 and CO2
diffuse through
pores in the the ‘veins’
epidermis bring water

In a thin leaf, the

diffusion distance
is short O2 and CO2 diffuse
into the spaces between cells
The leaf needs carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis and oxygen for respiration.

These gases diffuse through pores in the leaf’s

epidermis and enter the air spaces between
cells.

They then diffuse through the cell wall into the

cytoplasm.
IMPORTANCE OF DIFFUSION OF GASES AND SOLUTES
GASES
 Oxygen needed for respiration
 Larger animals rely on gas exchange surfaces such as
lungs and gills .
 Carbon dioxide produced during respiration which is
potentially toxic is also removed by diffusion
 Similarly with the process of photosynthesis.
 Nitrogen ( 78% ) also enters the bloodstream by diffusion
but is not used by the body.
 Divers are at risk .As they swim deeper , the surrounding
water pressure increases and so does the pressure in the
air tank ( increase in pressure)
 More nitrogen diffuses into diver’s tissues and builds up.
 At the water surface , the pressure decreases and nitrogen
can form bubbles in blood
 ‘ Decomposition sickness’ or ‘ the bends’ – blood flow
blocked in joints
 SOLUTES
 Nitrates and magnesium diffuse across the
root tissues ( mainly by active transport)

 Vitamins are absorbed into the blood stream

by diffusion

 In kidneys , some of salts diffuse back into the

blood stream

 Dialysis also uses diffusion to remove small

solutes from the blood.
 Rate of Diffusion
Molecules and ions in liquid and gases move around
randomly using kinetic energy ( movement energy)

The speed by which a substance diffuses through a

cell membrane depends on several factors :

1.) Surface Area :

The greater the surface area faster is the diffusion.
Eg: Cells in the kidney or intestine have “free”surface
membrane formed into hundreds of tiny projections
called microvilli. Increasing the absorbing surface.
The surface of placenta is also highly folded for the
diffusion of molecules between the mother and her
fetus.
 2.) Temperature :
Increase in temperature causes an increase in
the kinetic energy .
Molecules move faster
Process of diffusion speeds up.
3.) Concentration gradient :
The bigger the difference in the concentration
of a substance on either side of a membrane
the faster it will diffuse.
Difference is called a concentration gradient
or diffusion gradient
MICROVILLI ( INTESTINE)
4.) Distance:
Cell membranes are all about the same
thickness. But plant cell walls vary in their
thickness and permeability.
Thicker the wall , slower the rate of diffusion.

For example : oxygen diffuses from the alveoli

of the lungs , travels through the cell
membrane of the alveoli , the blood capillaries
and cytoplasm of the red blood cells

Increased distance slows down diffusion

5.) Size of molecules or ions :
Larger the molecule or ions , slower they
diffuse.

However , rate of diffusion cannot be

predicted from the molecular size alone
 OSMOSIS
Osmosis is the net movement of water
molecules from a region of higher water
potential ( dilute solution) to a region of lower
water potential ( concentrated solution)
through a partially permeable membrane.
 WATER POTENTIAL
Water potential of a solution is a measure of
whether it will lose or gain water molecules.

Solution with more water molecules has a

higher water potential

Solution with less water molecules has a low

water potential
 OSMOSIS
 Water diffuses from the dilute solution to the
concentration solution through a partially
permeable membrane.

 OSMOSIS IN ANIMAL CELL
 Cell membrane is a partially permeable membrane

 As long as the concentration of water outside is higher than

that inside ,water will diffuse in by osmosis.
 Water entering the cell will make it swell and burst.

 If the cells are surrounded by a solution which is more

concentrated than the cytoplasm , water will pass out of the
cell and will shrink.

 The liquid outside the cells is called tissue fluid and its
concentration depends on the concentration of the blood
which is monitored by brain and adjusted by kidney .
 Importance of water potential and osmosis in
animal cells
 Osmosis happens all the time in cells.
 Fluid that bathes the cells is known as tissue fluid.

 If you place an animal cell in distilled water. Osmosis will result in the water
molecules moving from the distilled water where they are very concentrated
to the Cell Where they are of low concentration Through the cell surface
membrane.
 The cell becomes fat. As more Water molecules enter the cell, the cell will
eventually burst and die. This is known as haemolysis

 If we do the opposite, and place a red blood cell in a concentrated

salt solution, the water in the cell has a higher water potential that
the concentrated salt solution.
 Water molecules will move from the cell to the salt solution causing
the cell to become shrunken and shrivel .
The cell becomes plasmolysed.

Surface area is reduced and it is less effective is carrying oxygen.

The shape of the cell is known as Crenated
 Amoeba living in fresh water avoid bursting by possessing
contractile vacoule.
 It collects water and releases it through the cell membrane
 During surgery on internal organs ,pure water cannot be used as it
can cause the cells to burst.
 Hence saline water is used with same water potential as tissue
fluid .

 Diarrhoea is the loss of watery faeces.

 Loss of water and salt occurs
 Patient needs rehydration therapy
 rehydration drinks are used

 During sweating, excess water loss needs to be compensated.

 Sports people use sports drink which as the same water potential
as body fluid ( known as isotonic)
 The drink contains water , salt and glucose
 However it can lead to weight gain if it is sugar rich drink
 OSMOSIS IN PLANT CELL
 Cell wall is freely permeable

 When plant cells absorb maximum water by

osmosis , they become rigid due to the pressure
exerted outside on the cell wall.
 Stem and leaves are supported.
 A plant cell with the vacuole pushing out on the cell wall is
said to be turgid and the vacuole is exerting Turgor
Pressure on the cell wall.
 If the vacuole loses water , cells will lose their turgor and
shrink and become flaccid.
 The stems and leaves are not supported and wilt.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpvA4oM28o
 IMPORTANCE OF OSMOSIS IN PLANT CELLS
• Fertilisers dissolve in soil water
• The salts lower the water potential of the soil.
• Water loss by osmosis through the roots.
• Plant cells loose water to the outside and wilt.

• https://learning.cambridgeinternational.org/
classroom/course/view.php?id=2992
Reverse Osmosis
 a process by which a solvent passes through a
porous membrane in the direction opposite to
that for natural osmosis when subjected to a
hydrostatic pressure greater than the osmotic
pressure.
 However, you need to 'push' the water through
the reverse osmosis membrane by applying
pressure that is greater than the naturally
occurring osmotic pressure in order to
desalinate water in the process, allowing pure
water through while holding back a majority of
contaminants.
 ACTIVE TRANSPORT
 Is the movement of particles through a cell
membrane from a region of lower concentration
to a region of higher concentration against the
conc gradient using the energy from respiration.
ACTIVE TRANSPORT
 Some substances are taken in or expelled out of the
cell against the concentration gradient.
 Examples :
 Sodium ions can pass out of the cell even the
concentration outside is greater than inside.
 Small intestine takes up glucose against the
concentration gradient.
 Carrier molecules or proteins are required for active
transport.
 Plants absorb mineral salts from the soil but these
salts are in very dilute solution.
 Active transport helps to absorb the salt against the
concentration gradient.
ACTIVE TRANSPORT
PROCESS OF ACTIVE
TRANSPORT
 Particles recognised by carrier molecule.
 Respiration supplies energy to drive carrier

molecule across membrane.

 Particles released into cell even against a

concentration gradient.
 Carrier protein returns to collect other

particles.
 DIALYSIS TUBING
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie-
NDdVfFuE