Types of Transport

Front

What is tonicity?

Back

Tonicity refers to the ability of a solution to affect the volume of a cell by altering its water content. It is classified as hypotonic, isotonic, or hypertonic.

Front

What happens in a hypertonic solution?

Back

In a hypertonic solution, the concentration of solute outside the cell is higher than inside, causing water to move out of the cell, leading to cell shrinkage.

Front

What is a hypotonic solution?

Back

A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solute compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move into the cell, which may lead to swelling or bursting.

Front

Define isotonic solution.

Back

An isotonic solution has equal concentrations of solute inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water, and the cell remains the same size.

Front

What is active transport?

Back

Active transport is the movement of molecules across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, requiring energy.

Front

What is facilitated diffusion?

Back

Facilitated diffusion is the process of passive transport of molecules across a cell membrane via specific transmembrane integral proteins.

Front

What role do carrier proteins play in active transport?

Back

Carrier proteins change shape to transport specific molecules across the cell membrane against their concentration gradient, using energy.

Front

What is diffusion?

Back

Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration until equilibrium is reached.

Front

Explain exocytosis.

Back

Exocytosis is the process by which a cell expels materials in vesicles that fuse with the plasma membrane, releasing their contents outside the cell.

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.