BIOL 2160 Ch. 4

Passive Transport

Transport across the membrane does not require energy. From high to low concentration.

Active Transport

Transport across the membrane that requires energy. From low to high concentration. Requires ATP to counteract diffusion.

Driving Force

Difference in energy across a membrane. Force pushes from higher to lower energy

Chemical, Electrical, and Eectrochemical

What are the 3 driving forces?

Membrane Potential

A difference in electrical potential or voltage across the plasma membrane

Equilibrium Potential

The membrane potential at which the electrical driving force on the ion is equal and opposite to the chemical driving force

Simple Diffusion

Movement of molecules as a result of random thermal motion. Molecules freely cross membrane and net movement is down electrochemical gradient.

Facilitated Diffusion

Molecules bind to specific protein "carriers" or transporters in the membrane that transport them down their electrochemical gradient.

Transporters

Carriers

Diffusion through Ion Channels

Molecules flow through pores in specific protein channels in the membrane down their electrochemical gradient.

Primary Active Transport

Uses ATP directly to provide energy to move molecules against their electrochemical gradient

Secondary Active Transport

One molecule moves passively down its electrochemical gradient to provide energy for another molecule to move up its electrochemical gradient

Cotransport

Cotransported molecules move in the same direction

Countertransport

Countertransported molecules move in opposite directions

Osmosis

Movement of water across a membrane from an area of low concentration solute to an area of high concentration solute, diluting it, until there is equal concentration of solute on both sides of the membrane. Always passive transport.

Osmolarity

Total solute particle concentration of a solution