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.