Chapte

r
3
Diffusion
and
Osmosis
 OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, you should be able to
• define and describe diffusion, osmosis and active
transport
• to describe the idea of a partially permeable
membrane
• assess the importance of water potential gradient in
water uptake by plants
• explain the effects of osmosis in plant and animal
tissues
• define and discuss importance of active transport in
ion-uptake by root hairs and glucose uptake by cells
in the villi
 Int roduc tion

• Recall:
~ A cell is the basic unit of life
~ Many complex reactions take place inside the cell
~This means that many raw materials must be
brought into the cell
~ And new products formed by the chemical
reactions, and waste materials, must exit the cell.
 How ?

• How do the raw materials get into the cell?

• How do the new products leave the cell?
• How are the waste materials removed from the
cell?

Answer:
• Materials move across the partially permeable
cell membrane diffusion osmosis
• active transport
By processes called _________, _________ and
_______________
 Diffusion
Diffusion is the net movement of ions or
solute molecules from a region of higher
concentration to a region of lower
concentration, down a concentration
gradient molecule moves from a region of high
concentration to that of low concentration
region of high concentration

concentration
gradient
of molecule X

region of low
concentration of
molecule X
 Diffusion
Diffusion in gases

A. B.
Gas molecules The movement
move from a region continues until
of higher they are evenly
concentration to spread
that of a lower
concentration
 Diffusion
Diffusion in liquids

A. Dissolved particles of a B. The particles

substance in a liquid continue to move
move from a region until they are evenly
where they are more distributed.
concentrated to a region
where they are less
concentrated.
 Diffusion
Importance of Diffusion

Initially, the concentration of Later, an equal concentration

a substance outside the cell is of the substance inside and
higher than inside the cell. outside the cell is attained.
The particles diffuse across
the cell membrane.
 Diffusion
Importance of Diffusion
• Living cells continuously use up oxygen during aerobic
respiration.
• The concentration of oxygen inside the cell falls.
• Oxygen molecules diffuse into the cell until the oxygen
concentration is raised again.
• During respiration, carbon dioxide is produced.
• The concentration of carbon dioxide rises and creates a
concentration gradient.

carbon oxygen
dioxide

Oxygen is supplied to Amoeba by diffusion. Diffusion enables

metabolic wastes such as carbon dioxide to be excreted out.
 Diffusion
Factors which Affect the Rate of Diffusion
• Temperature: An increase in temperature results in a higher rate of
diffusion.
• Temp ↑ ⇒ Molecules move faster ⇒ Rate of diffusion ↑
• Size of particles: Small molecules or ions diffuse faster than large
ones.
• Particle size ↓ ⇒Energy to move particle ↓ ⇒ Rate of diffusion ↑
• Thickness of the barrier: Membranes of plant and animal cells are of
about the same in thickness and permeability. Plant cell walls vary in
their thickness. The thicker the cell walls, the slower the rate of
diffusion.
• Thinner membrane ⇒ Higher rate of diffusion
• Concentration gradient: The greater the concentration gradient, the
higher the rate of diffusion
• Steeper concentration gradient ⇒ Higher rate of diffusion
• Surface area: The rate of diffusion into a cell depends on the total
surface area of the cell membrane.
∀ ↑ surface area ⇒ ↑ rate of diffusion.
Lungs
 Diffusion in our body

• Recall: Our cells have a partially permeable membrane

• Partially permeable membrane

Allows some substance through and not others

• How do these substances pass through?
via DIFFUSION
 Practical Application

• Kidney dialysis
• Waste products are removed from
the blood by diffusing across
artificial membrane in the
machine
• Blood cells and other large
protein are retained
 Osmosis
Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable
membrane, from a high water potential to a low water potential.

selectively-permeable
membrane

The selectively permeable

membrane on the side of the
water is being continuously
bombarded by water
molecules which pass
through. water
molecules
This causes an increase in the
volume of sucrose solution
and a decrease in the volume
of water.
sucrose
molecule

water sucrose solution

 Osmosis
Water Potential

The water potential of a solution

is a measure of the tendency of
water molecules to move from one
place to another
A dilute solution has a
higher water potential than
a concentrated solution
The difference in water potential
between two solutions is known
as the water potential gradient
 Osmosis
Osmosis and Plant Cells

In plant cells, the cell sap contains

dissolved salts and sugar. If the cell sap
has a lower water potential than that of
the surrounding fluids, water from the
outside enters by osmosis.

Turgor – A state when Turgor pressure –

a cell is firm or turgid due
to water entering the cell,
causing it to swell.
The outward pressure
which the cell sap
exerts against the
inside wall of
the cell
 Importance of Turgor in Plants

1. Changes in turgor of the guard cell causes the opening of the

stomata
 Turgor (II)
 Changes in turgor of the pulvinus (small swelling at the base of the
leaflets) causes the folding of leaflets in the Mimosa

Osmosis and Plant Cells
cell sap more concentrated
than outside solution
water enters by
osmosis
Osmosis
Turgid cells. The
cytoplasm is pressed
against the cell wall. The
cell swells up and is
prevented from bursting
by the cellulose cell wall.

cellulose plasma cell sap less concentrated

cell wall membrane than outside solution

water
Plasmolysed cells. leaves by
Water is lost from osmosis

its vacuole, the

cytoplasm shrinks
and is withdrawn
from the cell wall. cytoplasm
Plasmolysis leads to wilting
 Fertilizer - Good or Bad?

• Too much fertilizer added will cause the plant to wilt

• Soil solution becomes very concentrated
• Water moves out of root
• Plant will wilt
• Sufficient water must be added to ensure plant survival
 Osmosis
Osmosis and Animal Cells normal red
blood cell
Changes observed
under a microscope in hypertonic in hypotonic
when blood is dropped solution solution

into hypertonic and

hypotonic solutions.
cell shrinks cell swells

cell becomes
crenated
cell bursts and cell is
said to be haemolysed
 Active Transport
Active transport is an energy-consuming process by which
substances are transported from regions of low concentration
to regions of high concentration against a concentration
gradient. binding site
substrate
molecule
OUTSIDE cell membrane
carrier protein

restoration INSIDE binding

carrier protein
changes shape

substrate
released

energy from ATP used

 Active Transport
Plants need to absorb mineral salts from the soil. They are
present as charged ions which cannot diffuse across
partially-permeable membranes.

soil particle

high concentration of ions

low concentration of ions

Direction of active transport

Ion uptake by root hair is

facilitated by active transport
 Active Transport
Active transport enables absorption of glucose and amino
acids through the inner surface of the small intestine.

The presence of
microvilli increases
the surface area over
which active
transport occurs. microvillus

cell lining
the villus

Uptake of glucose
by cells in the villi

glucose molecule
direction of active transport