diffusion
the net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration
does diffusion require energy
no
is diffuison a passive or active process
passive
what are the 2 requirements for substances to be able to pass directly across cell membranes (undergo simple diffusion)
-non-polar
why does being small mean substances can diffuse via simple diffusion
it means they can pass through the spaces in phospholipids
why can non-polar cross the membrane via simple diffusion
they can dissolve in the hydrophobic core of the cell membrane
by what process do large or polar molecules diffuse
facilitated diffusion
which 2 types of proteins help to accommodate facilitated diffusion
carrier proteins
channel proteins
do carrier or channel proteins just allow any substance to pass through?
no they are very specific and only allow 1 or 2 types of molecule to pass through
what do carrier proteins mostly transport
large molecules
how do molecules diffuse via carrier proteins
a large molecule attaches to a carrier protein
this therefore causes the carrier protein to change shape
the carrier protein then releases the molecule on the opposite side of the membrane
what molecules do channel proetins mainly transport
ions
how do substances travel through channel proteins
proteins form pores in the cells membrane which ions can travel through
which are the 5 factors that affect the rate of diffusion
how does temperature affect the rate of diffusion
at higher temperatures, particles have more kinectic energy and therefore move faster
how does concentration gradient affect rate of diffusion
the steeper the concentration gradient, the faster the rate of diffusion
how does thickness of membrane affect rate of diffusion
the particles have to travel shorter distances through thin exchange surfaces and therefore can diffuse more quickly
how does surface area affect rate of diffusion
the larger the surface area, the more particles can cross the membrane at once, increasing the speed of diffusion
how does the number of carrier or channel proteins affect the rate of diffusion
the more of these proteins, the faster the rate of facilitated diffusion