Cell Membrane Transport Mechanisms

Cell Transport Mechanisms

• The primary difference between facilitated diffusion and active transport is the direction of concentration gradient and energy requirement: facilitated diffusion moves molecules from high to low concentration without energy input, whereas active transport moves molecules from low to high concentration using energy.

Osmosis

• Osmosis is the process most closely related to the movement of water molecules, which helps to equalize solute concentrations between two solutions.

Facilitated Diffusion

• The purpose of facilitated diffusion in a cell is to speed up the movement of molecules down their concentration gradient, increasing the efficiency of essential cellular processes.

Transport Proteins

• Facilitated diffusion requires a transport protein, which forms a channel or binds to the molecule, allowing it to pass through the cell membrane.

Effects of Osmosis

• The net result of osmosis on a cell can be isotonic (no change in cell shape), hypertonic (cell shrinks), or hypotonic (cell swells), depending on the solute concentrations inside and outside the cell.

Test your understanding of cell membrane transport mechanisms, including simple diffusion, active transport, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis. Learn about the differences between these processes and their purposes in a cell.