Exploring Passive Transport Mechanisms in Cells

What is the primary function of the cell membrane?

• To act as a barrier to the outside world

• To store genetic information

• To produce energy

• To provide structural support

What does 'selectively permeable' mean in the context of the cell membrane?

• All substances can pass through the membrane

• Only water can pass through the membrane

• Nothing can pass through the membrane

• Some substances can pass through while others cannot

What is a concentration gradient?

• A difference in solute concentration between two areas

• A difference in temperature between two areas

• A difference in pressure between two areas

• A difference in pH between two areas

How do solutes move during diffusion?

• From lower concentration to higher concentration

• From higher concentration to lower concentration

• They do not move

• They move randomly without any pattern

What type of transport does not require energy?

• Endocytosis

• Passive transport

• Active transport

• Bulk transport

What kind of molecules can pass through the cell membrane by simple diffusion?

• Large, charged molecules

• Small, hydrophobic, non-polar molecules

• Hydrophilic molecules

• Proteins

How do very small hydrophilic molecules pass through the cell membrane?

• By active transport

• By facilitated diffusion

• By slipping through the membrane

• By osmosis

What analogy is used to describe how large, charged, or hydrophilic molecules pass through the cell membrane?

• A car driving on a road

• A squirrel coming down a chimney

• A bird flying in the sky

• A fish swimming in water

What is facilitated diffusion?

• Transport of gases

• Transport of water molecules

• Passive transport using integral membrane proteins

• Active transport using energy

What role do integral membrane proteins play in facilitated diffusion?

• They provide energy for transport

• They act as channels for specific molecules

• They store genetic information

• They produce proteins