Topic: 3 Movement into and out of cells

3.1 Diffusion

• Diffusion is the net movement of molecules from a region of

their higher concentration to a region of their lower concentration as a result of their random
movement.

Diffusion across the cell membrane

• For living cells, the principle of the movement down a concentration gradient is the same, but the
cell is surrounded by a cell membrane which can restrict the free movement of the molecules.
• The cell membrane is a partially permeable membrane – this means it allows some molecules
to cross easily, but others with difficulty or not at all.
• The simplest sort of selection is based on the size of the molecules.
• Diffusion helps living organisms to:
o obtain many of their requirements
o get rid of many of their waste products
o carry out gas exchange for respiration

Examples of diffusion in living organisms

You will need to learn examples of substances that organisms obtain by diffusion. Don’t forget that plants
require oxygen for respiration at all times, as well as carbon dioxide for photosynthesis when conditions for
photosynthesis are right (e.g. enough light and a suitable temperature).

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

1
 Brownian Motion

• All particles move randomly at all times

• This is known as Brownian motion
• The energy for diffusion comes from the kinetic energy of this random movement of
molecules and ions

Brownian Motion

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

2
 Factors that Influence Diffusion
Surface Area to Volume Ratio

• The bigger a cell or structure is, the smaller its surface area to volume ratio is, slowing
down the rate at which substances can move across its surface

Many cells which are adapted for diffusion have increased surface area in some way – eg root
hair cells in plants (which absorb water and mineral ions) and cells lining the ileum in animals
(which absorb the products of digestion

Cell Adaptations for Diffusion

The highly folded surface of the small intestine increases its surface area

Three factors that affect the rate of diffusion and therefore the movement of molecules
through membranes:

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

3
 Distance

• The smaller the distance molecules have to travel the faster transport will occur.
• This is why blood capillaries and alveoli have walls which are only one cell thick, ensure
the rate of diffusion across them is as fast as possible.

Temperature

• The higher the temperature, the faster molecules move as they have more energy.
• This results in more collisions against the cell membrane and therefore a faster rate of
movement across them.

Concentration Gradient

• The greater the difference in concentration either side of the membrane, the faster
movement across it will occur.
• This is because on the side with the higher concentration, more random collisions
against the membrane will occur.

3.2 Osmosis

Water as a Solvent

• Water is important for all living organisms as many substances are able to dissolve in it (it is
a solvent). This makes it incredibly useful and essential for all life on Earth
• Water is important as a solvent in the following situations within organisms:
o Dissolved substances can be easily transported around organisms - eg xylem and phloem
of plants and dissolved food molecules in the blood
o Digested food molecules are in the alimentary canal but need to be moved to cells all
over the body - without water as a solvent this would not be able to happen
o Toxic substances such as urea and substances in excess of requirements such as salts can
dissolve in water which makes them easy to remove from the body in urine
o Water is also an important part of the cytoplasm and plays a role in ensuring metabolic
reactions can happen as necessary in cells

Osmosis

• All cells are surrounded by a cell membrane which is partially permeable.

• Water can move in and out of cells by osmosis.
• Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from a region of high water potential (dilute
solution) to a region of low water potential (more concentrated solution) across a partially
permeable membrane.
• In doing this, water is moving down its concentration gradient
• The cell membrane is partially permeable which means it allows small molecules
(like water) through but not larger molecules (like solute molecules).

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

4
 How osmosis works
Osmosis Experiments

Immersing plant cells in solutions of different concentrations

• The most common osmosis practical involves cutting cylinders of root vegetables such as potato
or radish and placing them into distilled water and sucrose solutions of increasing concentration
• The cylinders are weighed before placing into the solutions
• They are left in the solutions for 20 - 30 minutes and then removed, dried to remove excess liquid
and reweighed

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

5
 Potatoes are usually used in osmosis experiments to show how the concentration of a solution
affects the movement of water, but radishes can be used too

• If the plant tissue gains mass:

o Water must have moved into the plant tissue from the solution surrounding it by osmosis
o The solution surrounding the tissue is more dilute than the plant tissue (which is more
concentrated)
• If plant tissue loses mass:
o Water must have moved out of the plant tissue into the solution surrounding it by osmosis
o The solution surrounding the tissue is more concentrated than the plant tissue (which is
more dilute)
• If there is no overall change in mass:
o There has been no net movement of water as the concentration in both the plant tissue and
the solution surrounding it must be equal
o Remember that water will still be moving into and out of the plant tissue, but there wouldn’t
be any net movement in this case

Investigating osmosis using dialysis tubing

• Dialysis tubing (sometimes referred to as visking tubing) is a non-living partially

permeable membrane made from cellulose
• Pores in this membrane are small enough to prevent the passage of large molecules (such
as sucrose) but allow smaller molecules (such as glucose and water) to pass through
by diffusion and osmosis
• This can be demonstrated by:
o Filling a section of dialysis tubing with concentrated sucrose solution
o Suspending the tubing in a boiling tube of water for a set period of time
o Noting whether the water level outside the tubing decreases as water moves into the tubing
via osmosis
o Water moves from a region of higher water potential (dilute solution) to a region of lower
water potential (concentrated solution), through a partially permeable membrane

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

6
 Osmosis in Animals & Plants
Plant cells in solutions of different concentrations

• When plant cells are placed in a solution that has a higher water potential (dilute solution) than
inside the cells (e.g. distilled water) then water moves into the plant cells via osmosis
• These water molecules push the cell membrane against the cell wall, increasing the turgor
pressure in the cells which makes them turgid

• When plant cells are placed in a concentrated solution (with a lower water potential than inside the
cells) water molecules will move out of the plant cells by osmosis, making them flaccid.
• If plant cells become flaccid it can negatively affect the plant's ability to support itself
• If looked at underneath the microscope, the plant cells might be plasmolysed, meaning the cell
membrane has pulled away from the cell wall

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

7
Animal cells in solutions of different concentrations

• Animal cells also lose and gain water as a result of osmosis

• As animal cells do not have a supporting cell wall, the results on the cell are more severe
• If an animal cell is placed into a strong sugar solution (with a lower water potential than the cell), it
will lose water by osmosis and become crenated (shrivelled up)
• If an animal cell is placed into distilled water (with a higher water potential than the cell), it will gain
water by osmosis and, as it has no cell wall to create turgor pressure, will continue to do so until the
cell membrane is stretched too far and it bursts

3.3 Active Transport

• Active transport is the movement of particles through a cell membrane from a region of lower
concentration to a region of higher concentration using energy from respiration

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

8
 Importance of Active Transport

• Energy is needed because particles are being moved against a concentration gradient, in the
opposite direction from which they would naturally move (by diffusion)
• Active transport is vital process for the movement of molecules or ions across membranes
• Including:

o uptake of glucose by epithelial cells in the villi of the small intestine and by kidney tubules in
the nephron
o uptake of ions from soil water by root hair cells in plants

Protein Carriers

• Active transport works by using carrier proteins embedded in the cell membrane to pick up specific
molecules and take them through the cell membrane against their concentration gradient:

1. Substance combines with carrier protein molecule in the cell membrane

2. Carrier transports substances across membrane using energy from respiration to give them the
kinetic energy needed to change shape and move the substance through the cell membrane
3. Substance released into cell

Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes

9
Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes
10
Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes
11
Huravee School/ Gr-8 Biology / Movement in and out of cells - Notes
12