CellMembranes

Diffusion,Osmosis&Osmotic
Pressure

FunctionsofMembranes
1.Protectcell
2.Controlincomingandoutgoingsubstances
3.Maintainionconcentrationsofvarious
substances
4.Selectivelypermeable allowssome
moleculesin,othersarekeptout

Solutions
Solutionsaremadeofsoluteandasolvent
Solvent theliquidintowhichthesoluteis
pouredanddissolved.Wewillusewater
asoursolventtoday.
Solute substancethatisdissolvedorput
intothesolvent.Saltandsucroseare
solutes.
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MethodsofTransportAcross
Membranes
1.Diffusion
2.Osmosis
3.FacilitatedDiffusion
4.ActiveTransport
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MethodsofTransportAcross
Membranes
1.Diffusionpassivetransport no energy
expended
2.Osmosis Passivetransportofwater
acrossmembrane
3.FacilitatedDiffusion Useofproteinsto carrypolar
moleculesorionsacross
4.ActiveTransport requiresenergytotransport
moleculesagainstaconcentration
gradient energyisintheformof
ATP
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Diffusion
Particles in a liquid or gas
spread out
from regions of high
concentration
to regions of low
concentration
until the particles are
evenly spread out.
r.Kashif Rahim

Dissolving
KMnO4
crystal

 The difference between the regions of high

concentration and low concentration is called the
concentration gradient
The steeper the concentration gradient, the faster
diffusion takes place
High concentration gradient

Fast rate of diffusion

Low concentration gradient

Slow rate of diffusion

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Osmosis
Osmosis is the diffusion of free water
molecules
from a region of high concentration of
free water molecules
to a region of low concentration of free
water molecules
across a partially-permeable
membrane
until they are evenly spread out.
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Distilled water separated by a partiallypermeable membrane:

Water molecules are moving from

one side of the membrane to the
other but there is NO NET OSMOSIS
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If a substance is dissolved in water, the

kinetic energy of the water molecules is
LOWERED.
This is because some water molecules
aggregate on the surfaces of the other
molecules

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Tonicityisarelativeterm
HypotonicSolution Onesolutionhasa
lowerconcentrationofsolutethan
another.
HypertonicSolution onesolutionhasa
higherconcentrationofsolutethan
another.
IsotonicSolution bothsolutionshave
sameconcentrationsofsolute.
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For osmosis we talk about the

potential water molecules have to
move the OSMOTIC POTENTIAL.
Distilled water has the highest
potential (zero).
When water has another substance
dissolved in it, the water molecules have
less potential to move. The osmotic
potential is NEGATIVE.

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Water molecules always move from

less negative to more negative water
potential.

NET OSMOSIS

= LN MN

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The osmotic potential of a cell

is known as its WATER
POTENTIAL. For animal cells,
the water potential is the
osmotic potential of the
cytoplasm.

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An animal cell with water

potential 50 is
placed in a solution

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Water potential of
cytoplasm = -50
Osmotic potential of
solution= -20

If the osmotic
potential of the
solution is LESS
NEGATIVE than the
water potential of the
cytoplasm(the
solution is
HYPOTONIC), net
ENDOSMOSIS will
occur, i.e. water will
move into the cell
from the solution.
The result will be
HAEMOLYSIS (the cell
will burst)
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Water potential of
cytoplasm= -50
Osmotic potential of
solution = -80
Dr.KashifRahim

If the osmotic
potential of the
solution is MORE
NEGATIVE than
the water
potential of the
cytoplasm (the
solution is
HYPERTONIC), net
EXOSMOSIS will
occur. The result
will be CRENATION
(the cell will
shrivel up)
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Water potential of
cytoplasm= -50
Osmotic potential of
solution= -50
Dr.KashifRahim

If the
osmotic
potential of
the solution
is THE SAME
as the water
potential of
the
cytoplasm
(the solution
is ISOTONIC),
there will be
NO NET
OSMOSIS.
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What controls osmosis?

Unequal
distributionof
particles,calleda
concentration
gradient,isone
factorthatcontrols
osmosis.

Before
Osmosis

Selectively
permeable
membrane

After
Osmosis

Water molecule
Sugar molecule

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Osmosis: Diffusion of Water

Mostcellswhetherinmulticellularorunicellular
organisms,aresubjecttoosmosisbecausetheyare
surroundedbywatersolutions.

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Cells in an isotonic solution

isotonicsolution
(=concentrations)
the concentrationof
dissolvedsubstancesin
thesolutionisthesame
astheconcentrationof
dissolvedsubstances
insidethecell.

H2O
H2O

Water Molecule
Dissolved Molecule

Dr.KashifRahim

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Cells in an isotonic solution

H2O

watermoleculesmove
intoandoutofthecellat
thesamerate,andcells
retaintheirnormalshape.

H2O

Water
Molecule
Dissolved
Molecule
Dr.KashifRahim

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Cells in a hypotonic solution

hypotonic solution:dilute
solutionthuslow solute
concentration
Inahypotonicsolution,
waterentersacellby
osmosis,causingthecell
toswell.

H2O
H2O

Water
Molecule
Dissolved
Molecule
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Cells in a hypertonic solution

hypertonicsolution:
concentratedsolution,thus
ahighsolute
concentration
Inahypertonicsolution,
waterleavesacellby
osmosis,causingthecell
toshrink

H2O
H2O

Water
Molecule
Dissolved
Molecule
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OsmoticPressure
Forthephenomenonofosmosis,amembraneseparates
salt/waterinsideachamberfrompurewaterinthe
container.Waterpassesthroughmembranefromdiluteto
moreconcentrated.Aswaterrisesintotube,itcreatesa
pressure.Eventuallythispressure(osmoticpressure)
preventsfurtherpassageofwaterthroughthemembrane
Osmoticpressureisforceperareathatpreventswaterfrom
passingthroughmembrane!

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Dr.KashifRahim

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Diagram of osmotic pressure cell.

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OsmoticPressure
Methodsforthedeterminationofosmotic
pressureare
1. Pfeffersmethod
2. Freezingpointdeterminationmethod.
Decreaseinfreezingpointofthesolution
whenitsosmoticpressureisequaltoone
osmole.

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OsmoticPressure
Lawsof OsmoticPressure:
1. TheOsmoticPressureisdirectly
proportionaltotheconcentrationofthe
solute.
2. TheOsmoticPressureisdirectly
proportionaltotheabsolutetemperature.

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OsmoticPressure
Importanceofosmoticpressureofplasma
proteins:
1. Theplasmaproteinsformacolloidalsolutionand
arethechiefcolloidoftheplasma.
2. Theoncoticpressureoftheplasmaproteinsisthe
mainforcewhichtendstokeeptheplasmawater
withinthebloodvessels.
3. Ifconcentrationofplasmaproteinsdecreases,
waterwillleakintotissuespacesandwillleadto
developmentofedema.

Dr.KashifRahim

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