Transport through cell

membranes

by Dr. Ali Damani

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 Homeostasis
• The composition of ECF and ICF are maintained in
steady state condition by variety of mechanism

• ECF consists of blood plasma and interstitial

fluid – is maintained by CVS, Rs, renal, GIT,
Endocrine, and CNs

• ICF is maintained by the cell membrane which

mediates transport of material between the
ICF and ECF by diffusion, osmosis, active
transport, and vesicular transport

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 Functions of Cell membrane
7.5 - 10nm, tri-laminar,
Composed of lipids and
proteins
Functions:
selective barrier
 Protective / Excretory
Facilitated transport
Spec. recognition/regulation

Plays important role in the

way cells perceive, and
interact w/ environment
 Cell membrane
• All cell membrane contains lipids and
proteins
1. Lipids form a basic structure
– Primarily phospholipids, cholesterol, and
glycolipids
– Are amphipathic
– Are arranged into a bilayers when placed in
aqueous solution
• Hydrophilic ends face ICF and ECF
• Hydrophobic ends face each other in the interior of
bilayer

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 Cell membrane continued
2. The proteins assist in carrying • Peripheral proteins – bind to
out a large variety of hydrophilic polar beads of
physiological functions lipids or integral proteins
– according to the fluid mosaic – Peripheral protein that bind to
model – protein are embedded intracellular surface – contribute
in the lipid bilayer to the cytoskeleton
– Peripheral protein that bind to
• Some protein called integral extracellular surface contribute
proteins bind to the to the glycocalyx
hydrophobic center
– Transmembrane proteins –
span the entire bilayer
• Channels,
• Carriers,
• Pumps
• Receptors
– Integral protein present on
only one side – serve as
enzymes
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 Transport through cell membranes
• The phospholipid bilayer is a good barrier around cells,
especially to water soluble molecules. However, for the cell to
survive some materials need to be able to enter and leave the
cell.
• There are 4 basic mechanisms:

1. DIFFUSION and FACILITATED DIFFUSION

2. OSMOSIS

3. ACTIVE TRANSPORT

4. BULK TRANSPORT

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•Diffusion is passive movement - the net movement of
molecules (or ions) from a region of their high
concentration to a region of their lower concentration.

The molecules move down a concentration gradient.

Molecules have kinetic energy, which makes them move about

randomly.

As a result of diffusion molecules reach an equilibrium where

they are evenly spread out.

This is when there is no net movement of molecules from either

side.

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Diffusion of liquids

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 What determines the rate of diffusion?
There 4 factors:
1. The steepness of the concentration gradient. The bigger the
difference between the two sides of the membrane the quicker
the rate of diffusion.

2. Temperature. Higher temperatures give molecules or ions more

kinetic energy. Molecules move around faster, so diffusion is
faster.

3. The surface area. The greater the surface area the faster the
diffusion can take place. This is because the more molecules or
ions can cross the membrane at any one moment.

4. The type of molecule or ion diffusing. Large molecules need

more energy to get them to move so they tend to diffuse more
slowly. Non-polar molecules diffuse more easily than polar
molecules because they are soluble in the non polar phospholipid
tails.

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 Molecules that diffuse through cell
membranes
1. Oxygen – Non-polar
so diffuses very
quickly.

1. Carbon dioxide –
Polar but very small
so diffuses quickly.

2. Water – Polar but

also very small so
diffuses quickly.

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 Diffusion
• Fick’s law of diffusion – describes the rate of
diffusion thru a membrane as a function of its
concentration
• Flux= - D x A (Cin – Cout)
X Where D = diffusion coeffiency
A = area of membrane
• Permeability depend on solute and the membrane
– Lipid soluble particles diffuse thru the lipid
bilayer
– Water soluble – diffuse thru the aqueous channels
formed by the transmembr proteins
– permeability is proportional to size, shape, and
charge as well as no. of channels
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 Facilitated diffusion
• Carrier mediated process
• Large polar molecules such as
glucose and amino acids, cannot
diffuse across the phospholipid
bilayer. Also ions such as Na+ or Cl-
cannot pass.

• These molecules pass through

protein channels instead. Diffusion
through these channels is called
FACILITATED DIFFUSION.

• Movement of molecules is still

PASSIVE just like ordinary
diffusion, the only difference is,
the molecules go through a protein
channel instead of passing between
the phospholipids.

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 Facilitated diffusion
• Used to transport glucose into RBc, muscles and
adipose tissues
• No external force required
• Carrier protein undergo repetitive changes
• Substance attached where more conc. and less
where less concentrated.
• Rate of facilitated diffusion rises as conc grad
increases until all binding sites are filled –
saturation / Michealis –Menten kinetis

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 Facilitated Diffusion:
Molecules will randomly move through the opening like pore, by diffusion.
This requires no energy, it is a PASSIVE process. Molecules move from an
area of high concentration to an area of low conc.

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Facilitated diffusion

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 Facilitated Diffusion
• It is distinguished by the following :
• The rate of molecule transport across the membrane
is much faster than would be expected from simple
diffusion.
• This is a specific process; each facilitated diffusion
protein transports only one type of molecule.
• There is a maximum rate of transport, which means
that when the concentration gradient of molecules
across the membrane is low, increasing the
concentration gradient results in an increase in the
rate of transport.
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 Osmosis
‘The diffusion of water from an area of high
concentration of water molecules (high water
potential) to an area of low concentration of water
(low water potential) across a partially permeable
membrane.’
Osmotic pressure is created by the presence of
different conc. of solutes in the solutions on either
side of the membrane
Osmotic pressure is a colligative property – related to
the no. Of particles dissolved in solution and not
shape, size, molecular wt or charge
Calculating using van’t Holf equation:
Osm press= DC.R.T where c=diff in conc, R= natural
gas const. And t=absolute temp

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 Clinical significance
• Cell – changes in plasma osmolarity causes cells to
shrink or swell
• Ability for a cell to cause a stead state is called
its tonicity
• Hypotonicty – water flows in the cell
• Hypertonicity –extracellular solution that causes
water to flow out of the cell
• Isotonic solution – causes no change in
intracellular vol
• Na+ is major somatically active constituent of
ECF
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 Osmosis
CONCENTRATED SOLUTION
DILUTE SOLUTION
Cell membrane
partially
Sugar molecule permeable.

VERY Low conc.

of water
molecules. High
water potential.

VERY High conc. Outside cell

Inside cell
of water
molecules. High
water potential.

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 Osmosis

Cell membrane
partially
permeable.

Low conc. of
water molecules.
High water
OSMOSIS potential.

High conc. of
Inside cell Outside cell
water molecules.
High water
potential.

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 Osmosis

Cell membrane
partially
permeable.

OSMOSIS

Inside cell Outside cell

EQUILIBRIUM. Equal water concentration on each side.

Equal water potential has been reached. There is no net
movement of water
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Active transport
• Primary active transport
directly use energy from
ATP hydrolysis
• e.g Na+-K+ pump – uses
membrane bound ATPase
• Inhibited by Digoxin
• Ca pump – sarcoplasmic
reticulum
• K-H pump –gastric mucosa

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 Secondary active transport
– Use energy stored in the Na+ conc. gradient to
transport material against an energy gradient
– Glucose and amino acid absorption in the
proximal tubule and absorption in the Gi lumen
– ca+2+ removal form cytoplasm of muscles by Na+-
Ca2+ exchanger

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 Cotransport also uses the process of diffusion. In this case a molecule that is moving
naturally into the cell through diffusion is used to drag another molecule into the cell.

In this example glucose hitches a ride with sodium.

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 Endocytosis is the case when a molecule causes the cell membrane to bulge inward,
forming a vesicle. Phagocytosis is the type of endocytosis where an entire cell is
engulfed. Pinocytosis is when the external fluid is engulfed. Receptor-mediated
endocytosis occurs when the material to be transported binds to certain specific
molecules in the membrane. Examples include the transport of insulin and cholesterol
into animal cells.

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 endocytosis
• Endocytosis – extracellualr
materials trapped within
vescles formed by
invagination of cell membr
• Receptor mediated
endocytosis
– material trapped first bind to
a receptor and then receptor
–substance complex is
ingested by endocytosis. E.g
iron, cholesterol intake

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 Vesicle-mediated transport
Vesicles and vacuoles that fuse with the cell membrane may be utilized to release or
transport chemicals out of the cell or to allow them to enter a cell. Exocytosis is the
term applied when transport is out of the cell.

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 Exocytosis
The opposite of endocytosis is exocytosis. Large molecules that are
manufactured in the cell are released through the cell membrane.

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 Cell Membrane - Function - Endocytosis
The cell membrane can also engulf structures that are much too large to fit through the pores in the
membrane proteins this process is known as endocytosis. In this process the membrane itself wraps around

the particle and pinches off a vesicle inside the cell. In this animation an ameba engulfs a food particle.

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These are carrier proteins. They do not extend through the membrane. They bond and
drag molecules through the bilipid layer and release them on the opposite side.

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