Crossing the cell membrane

Year 11 Biology
Unit One
All cells must exchange substances with their
environment
Eg:
Get rid of wastes
Transport products to other cells
Bring nutrients into cell
The cell membrane regulates what can come
into and out of the cell
There are several processes which allow the
transport of material into and out of the cell

Definitions
Solute: A substance dissolved in a solvent.
Eg: Sugar dissolved in water

Passive: No energy required

Concentration gradient: The difference in
concentration between two points
High
concentration
Low
concentration
Concentration
gradient
Process 1: Diffusion
The net movement of
a substance from a
region where it is in
high concentration to
a region where it is in
low concentration
Passive movement
Movement is down a
concentration
gradient

Process 1: Diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Movement of
molecules across the
membrane by diffusion
with the assistance of
carrier proteins
Movement down a
conc. gradient
therefore no energy
required
Glucose is transported
in this way
CO
2

diffuses
out
O
2
diffuses in
Section through
worms skin
the blood vessels
absorb the O
2
and
carry it to the body
0.04mm
Earthworm
diffusion takes place through the thin
skin of the worm
16
Process 2: Osmosis
Movement of water
molecules from a region
of low solute (high solvent
(H20) concentration) to a
region of high solute (low
solvent (H20)
concentration).
Does not require energy
as water is diffusing along
its own concentration
gradient

Process 2: Osmosis
The cytoplasm contains
dissolved substances.
If it is placed in fresh
water a concentration
gradient will exist
Water will cross the
membrane into the cell to
balance the conc.
gradient
What will this do to a
plant cell and an animal
cell??????

Process 2: Osmosis
Animal cell
The cell will swell and
burst
Plant cell
The cell will swell and
the membrane will
push against the cell
wall. The rigid cell wall
provides support. The
cell is said to be turgid

cell wall cytoplasm and
cell membrane
vacuole
The cell absorbs water
by osmosis ....
....but the cell wall stops the
cell expanding any more
Plant cells
18
Process 2: Osmosis
Hypertonic solution
Solution has a higher concentration of dissolved
substances than the cell
Isotonic solution
Solution with same solute concentration as the cell
Hypotonic solution
Solution has a lower concentration of dissolved
substances than the cell

What will happen in each case?????
Hypertonic
Plant cell placed in a
strong sugar solution.
A concentration
gradient exists. Sugar
is unable to cross the
membrane. Water will
diffuse by osmosis out
of the cell and the cell
will plasmolyse

Isotonic
No concentration
gradient exists. Water
will diffuse back and
forth at an even rate

Hypotonic
An animal cell is
placed in pure water.
A concentration
gradient exists. There
is a net movement of
water into the cell. The
cell will swell and
burst.


Factors effecting the rate of
diffusion
1. Concentration of molecules
The larger the concentration gradient is the faster the
process occurs
2. Size of the molecules
Larger molecules take longer to diffuse
3. Density of the environment
The denser the environment the longer diffusion takes
4. Temperature
Higher temperatures speed up the random movement of
the molecules. Therefore molecules come in contact with
the membrane more readily.


These cells are short of
water; the tissue is limp and
the plant is wilting
The cells have taken up
water by osmosis; the
cells are turgid and the
tissue is firm
Limp and turgid tissue
21
Process 3: Active transport
Net movement of
dissolved substances
against a concentration
gradient (ie: going from a
low to a high
concentration)
Requires energy (ATP)
Involves carrier proteins
Enables cells to maintain
a stable internal
environment
Seen in plant root cells

Process 4: Bulk transport
Movement of solid
particles
Membrane encloses
around material to form a
vesicle
Endocytosis = movement
into cell
Exocytosis = movement
out of the cell
SEE PAGE 30 OF TEXT


Surface Area to Volume Ratio
(SA:V ratio)
Why are cells so small???????
The surface area of a shape identifies how
many units of external area there is to
supply each unit of internal volume.
When an organism increases in volume,
its surface area does not increase at the
same rate
CUBE SIZE (cm) SURFACE AREA (cm
2
) VOLUME (cm
3
) SURFACE AREA TO
VOLUME RATIO
1 6 1 6:1
2 24 8 24:8 or 3:1
3 54 27 54:27 or 2:1
The surface area increases at a slower rate than the its volume
As the cube increases in size, its surface area to volume ratio decreases
Compare cube 1 and 3
Cube 1: Each unit of volume as 6 units of surface area supplying it
Cube 3: Each unit of volume has 2 units of surface area supplying it.
This table shows how the surface area of a cube increases as its
volume increases.
Surface Area to Volume Ratio
(SA:V ratio)
To survive cells must take
in supplies and get rid of
wastes
This is favoured by a
higher SA:V ratio.
Cells are limited in size
so that they can be
efficient in meeting their
needs.
Changing the shape of
the cell can change the
SA:V ratio Eg: folding