Cellular Transport

To discuss how nutrients get in and out of a cell, youll need to know these
words. A solute is the substance being dissolved. The solvent is the substance doing
the dissolving. In aqueous solutions, the solvent is always water. The cytoplasm in
the cell is an aqueous solution.
All cells are contained within the boundary of a cell membrane. Eukaryotic
cells also have organelles on the inside which have their own plasma membranes.
These membranes help control which molecules go in and out of the cell and its
organelles. Membranes are made mostly out of a special lipid molecule known as a
phospholipid. These phospholipids are arranged in a bilayer; this means that are
two layers of lipids that make up a membrane.
Membranes allow cells to communicate with other cells and the outside
world. This allows the cells to respond to their environment and each other!
Membranes also help maintain homeostasis by regulating which molecules come
into and out of the cell. Helping to regulate the steady balance of nutrients in the
cell is vital to the cells survival.

There are also several processes for moving solutes into and out of the cell
without using energy. Any process that allows molecules into and out of the cell
without using energy is a form of passive transport.

Diffusion is the process of very small solutes moving directly through the
membrane. During diffusion, molecules always travel from a higher concentration
to a lower concentration. Some molecules are too large or have an electrical charge
and cannot go directly through the membrane. Protein channels and carrier
proteins FACILITATE the diffusion of these solutes across the membrane. Because

this is still a form of diffusion, these solutes still travel from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration. It also means that this does NOT
require the cell to use any of its energy!

Water is one of the most important molecules in and around cells because of
its ability to be a great solvent. The movement of water into and out of cells is
known as osmosis. Because water is the solvent and not a solute, we have to think
about it a bit differently. Water is able to move across the membrane via simple
diffusion because it is so small, but we do NOT talk about solvents in the same way
as solutes. Because of this, we say water travels from where it is purest to where it
is least pure.
When a cell is in a hypertonic solution, there is a higher concentration of
solutes on the outside of the cell. So water travels out of the cell towards to the
less pure solution and the cell shrinks and shrivels!
When a cell is in a hypotonic solution, there is a lower concentration of
solutes on the outside of the cell. So water travels into the cell towards to the less
pure solution and the cell swells and can burst!
When a cell is in a isotonic solution, there are the same concentrations of
solutes on the inside and outside of the cell. So there is NO net movement of water,
and the cell maintains the steady balance of water inside itself.

Some ions and molecules must be forced across the cell membrane using the
cells energy. This often involves pumping solutes into and out of the cell. Any
process that requires energy to move solutes is known as active transport. Active
transport is important for moving molecules against their concentration gradient.
This means they travel from a low concentration to a high concentration. This is
why it requires energy!

Cells can also engulf molecules from the outside of the cell through the
process of endocytosis. A small piece of the membrane is pinched off creating a
vesicle with the solutes inside. Since this process requires energy, it is a form of
active transport. Vesicles can also join to the membrane and expel their contents to
the outside of the cell. This process is known as exocytosis. Endo- means inside of.
Exo- means outside of.