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3.1 Diffusion
• Definition: The net movement of ions or molecules of a substance from a region where
they are in a higher concentration to a region where they are in lower concentration,
down a diffusion gradient
3.2 Osmosis
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• Definition: The net movement of water molecules across a selectively-permeable
membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential,
down a water potential gradient
• Water potential: A measure of how much water is present in comparison with solute
molecules in the same volume of solution
• Take note: Osmosis occurs only when a selectively permeable membrane is used!
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• Example of Osmosis (Selectively permeable membrane separates dilute and
concentrated solutions)
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3.3 Osmosis in living systems (Cells)
• Cell surface membrane is selectively permeable
• In plant cells, remember also that the cell wall is tough, slightly-elastic and permeable
o Its cell sap in the vacuole is highly concentrated as it contains a mixture of
substances
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3.4 Active Transport
• Definition: Process where energy is used to move the particles of a substance against a
concentration gradient from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher
solute concentration
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• Cells carrying out active transport usually
o Contains numerous mitochondria
o Have high cellular respiratory rate to provide energy needed
• Materials move in and out of cells across their cell membranes by the following methods:
o Diffusion: eg. Uptake of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide by all living cells
during respiration
o Osmosis: eg. Uptake of water molecules from the soil by root hair cells and the
flow of water from here to the xylem vessel of the root
• It is very important that the rates of movement of substances (oxygen, carbon dioxide
and nutrients) across cell membranes must be high enough to meet the metabolic needs
of the cells
• How fast these 3 processes is taking place depends strongly on the ratio of the surface
area of the cells to its volume
SurfaceAre a
o Mathematically, is it defined as
Volume
o Normally expressed in ratio form
• The greater the surface area: volume ratio The faster the rate at which these
processes (diffusion, osmosis, active transport) take place
• A smaller cell has a larger surface area: volume ratio than a large cell of the same shape
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o Thus, a large organism is made up of many small cells (multicellular)
• Having multifold of cell surface membrane can increase surface area: volume ratio of a
cell.
o This modification is very important to cells that are concerned with absorption of
substances. Eg. Microvilli of cells lining the small intestine