Why is no work required to move substances down their concentration gradient?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for an explanation of why no work is required to move substances down their concentration gradient, which relates to the concepts of diffusion and the kinetic energy of molecules.
Answer
No work is required because the concentration gradient stores potential energy that is used as concentrations equalize.
Moving substances down their concentration gradient does not require energy because the concentration gradient itself stores potential energy, which is used as the concentrations equalize.
Answer for screen readers
Moving substances down their concentration gradient does not require energy because the concentration gradient itself stores potential energy, which is used as the concentrations equalize.
More Information
When substances move down a concentration gradient, they naturally spread from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration due to the random movement of particles. This process is known as passive transport, requiring no energy input from the cell.
Tips
A common mistake is thinking that energy is always needed to move particles across a cell membrane. In passive transport, no external energy is required.
Sources
- Diffusion and Passive Transport - Khan Academy - khanacademy.org
- 3.5 Passive Transport – Concepts of Biology – 1st Canadian Edition - opentextbc.ca
- Passive Transport: Diffusion - Open Oregon Educational Resources - openoregon.pressbooks.pub
