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Questions and Answers
What fundamentally differentiates osmosis from simple diffusion?
What fundamentally differentiates osmosis from simple diffusion?
Which process requires energy for the movement of substances across the plasma membrane?
Which process requires energy for the movement of substances across the plasma membrane?
In what case would solute particles move up the concentration gradient?
In what case would solute particles move up the concentration gradient?
Which of the following processes does not involve the movement of water molecules?
Which of the following processes does not involve the movement of water molecules?
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Which transport mechanism is characterized by the formation of vesicles to move substances into the cell?
Which transport mechanism is characterized by the formation of vesicles to move substances into the cell?
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How does filtration differ from other transport mechanisms like osmosis and diffusion?
How does filtration differ from other transport mechanisms like osmosis and diffusion?
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Study Notes
Comparison of Substances Crossing the Plasma Membrane
- Diffusion: Movement of solutes from high to low concentration without energy input.
- Osmosis: Special case of diffusion; focuses on the movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane.
- Facilitated Diffusion: Involves carrier proteins to help specific molecules pass through the membrane, still moving from high to low concentration.
- Active Transport: Requires energy (ATP) to move substances against their concentration gradient (from low to high concentration).
- Filtration: Movement driven by pressure differences, allowing solutes and solvents to pass through a membrane.
- Endocytosis: Process by which cells engulf substances, forming vesicles to bring materials into the cell.
- Exocytosis: Reverse of endocytosis; vesicles inside the cell fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents outside.
Passive Transport
- Passive transport mechanisms do not require cellular energy.
- Osmosis involves water molecules, while diffusion generally refers to solute movement.
Key Differences: Osmosis vs Diffusion
- Osmosis specifically involves water, while diffusion refers to solutes.
- In osmosis, the concentration gradient for solvent (water) dictates movement, whereas diffusion can involve various types of particles.
Concentration Gradient
- Substances move along their concentration gradient (from high to low concentrations), driven by natural tendencies toward equilibrium.
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Description
Explore the different mechanisms by which substances cross the plasma membrane in this quiz. Test your knowledge on processes such as diffusion, osmosis, and active transport, and understand their significance in cellular function.
