Transport function of cell

Dr. R. Periasamy
Dept of Health science
Aksum University
 Human cell

ICF

ECF
 Plasma Membrane
10 million times per second

2 to 60 monosaccharide's

Glycocalyx
5%

75%

20%
Phospholipid
 Function of Membrane Proteins

Potassium ion channels Succinate dehydrogense

Glucose transporter Glut 4

Insulin receptor ABO blood group

 Membrane Fluidity

• Lateral movement
• (~107 times per second) • Flip-flop (~ once per month)

• (a) Movement of phospholipids

Flippase catalyze the flip flop movement

Membranes are not static sheets of molecules locked rigidly in place.

Membrane is held together by hydrophobic interactions, weaker than covalent bonds.
Ability to change shape without losing their integrity and becoming leaky to perform
various cellular functions.
 Membrane Permeability
• Selective permeability

• Membrane is permeable to nonpolar, uncharged molecules.

– Such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and steroids.

• Slightly permeable to small, uncharged polar molecules

– Such as water and urea.

• Impermeable to ions and large uncharged polar molecules

– Such as Na+, K+, Ca2+ , glucose.
– Transmembrane proteins act as channels and carriers increase the plasma
membrane’s permeability to a variety of ions and uncharged polar molecules.
 Gradients Across Plasma Membrane
• Concentration gradient
• Difference in concentration of a chemical from one place to another, such as
from inside to outside of plasma membrane.
– O2 and Na+ ions are more concentrated in ECF than in cytosol.
– CO2 and K + ions ions are more concentrated in cytosol than ECF.

• Electrical gradient
• The inner surface of plasma membrane is more negatively charged (more
proteins) and outer surface is more positively charged.
– A difference in electrical charges between two regions constitutes an electrical
gradient called membrane potential.
 Factors increase permeability
• Electrochemical gradient
– Combined influence of concentration gradient and
electrical gradient on movement of a particular ion.

• The factors influence the permeability as follows.

– 1. Increase in oil/water partition coefficient.
– 2. Decrease the radius of solute.
– 3. Decrease the thickness of membrane.
– 4. Decrease diffusion thickness.
 Classification of transport process
• Two types of transport
• Passive transport.
– A substance moves down its concentration or electrical gradient to
cross the membrane.
• An example is simple diffusion.

• Active transport.
– Cellular energy is used to drive the substance “uphill” against its
concentration or electrical gradient.
• An example is Na+ K+ ATP ase.
 Diffusion
• Passive process in which
random mixing of particles
in a solution occurs due to
particles’ kinetic energy.
– Solute is present in high
concentration in one area
of a solution move down
towards area of lower
concentration.
• They move down their
concentration gradient.
 Types of Diffusion

Simple diffusion Facilitated diffusion

 Principles of Diffusion
• Steepness of the concentration gradient.
– The greater the difference in concentration between the two sides of
the membrane, the higher the rate of diffusion.
• Temperature.
– The higher the temperature, faster the rate of diffusion.
• Mass of the diffusing substance.
– The larger the mass of the diffusing particle, the slower its diffusion rate.
• Surface area.
– Larger the membrane surface area available, faster the diffusion rate.
• In lung emphsema, reduce the surface area.
• This slows the rate of O2 diffusion and makes breathing more difficult.
• Diffusion distance.
– Greater the distance over which diffusion must occur, longer it takes.
 Simple Diffusion
• Substances move freely through lipid bilayer without the
help of membrane transport proteins.

– O2, CO2, N2, fatty acids, steroids and fat-soluble vitamins (A,
D, E and K).
– Small, uncharged polar molecules such as water, urea and
small alcohols.

• Route for absorption of some nutrients and excretion of some wastes

by body cells.
 Facilitated Diffusion
• Solutes too polar or highly charged to move through proteins in
the lipid bilayer by simple diffusion can cross the plasma
membrane by a passive process.

– An integral membrane protein assists a specific substance across the

membrane.
– Transport occur in down the electrochemical gradient and not require
energy.
– The integral membrane protein can be either a membrane channel or
a carrier.
Channel Mediated Facilitated Diffusion
 Channel Mediated Facilitated Diffusion
• Allow passage of small, inorganic ions that are too
hydrophilic to penetrate the nonpolar interior of the lipid
bilayer.
– Most numerous ion channels are selective for K+ ions, Cl_ ions,
• Million K+ ions can flow through a K+ channel in one second.
– Fewer channels are available for Na+ ions, Ca 2+ ions.
• A channel is said to be gated when part of the channel
protein acts as a “plug” or “gate,”.
– Gates of a channel are open, ions diffuse into or out of cells,
down their electrochemical gradients .
 Carrier mediated facilitated diffusion
• Glucose transport in
muscle and adipose tissue
• Glucose binds to a specific
type of carrier protein called
glucose transporter (GluT) on
outside surface of membrane.
• As the transporter undergoes
a change in shape, glucose
passes through the
membrane.
• The transporter releases
glucose on the other side of
the membrane.
 Character of facilitated diffusion
• Stereospecificity
– D-glucose transported by facilitated diffusion but not L-Glucose.

• Saturation
– Transport rate increase as concentration of solute increases until carriers
are saturated called transport maximum (Tm).

• Competition
– Structurally related solutes compete for transport sites on carrier
molecules.
– Galactose is competitive inhibitor of glucose.
 Character of Facilitated Diffusion

• 1. Down the electrochemical gradient.

• 2. Not require metabolic energy.

• 3. Passive diffusion.

• 4. Rapid then simple diffusion.

 Transport Maximum
• Rate at which facilitated diffusion can occur.

• Once all of the carriers are occupied, the transport

maximum is reached and a further increase in the
concentration gradient does not increase the rate of
facilitated diffusion.
 Osmosis
• Net movement of a solvent through a selectively permeable membrane.
– Osmosis is a passive process have three conditions.

• 1. Water, moves by osmosis across plasma membranes from an area of

higher water concentration to an area of lower water concentration.

• 2. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane from an area

of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.

• 3. Water move by simple diffusion or by aquaporins.

Osmosis
 Tonicity effects on red blood cells

0.9% NaCl 0.5% NaCl 1.2% NaCl

A solution’s tonicity is a measure of the solution’s ability to change the volume of cells by
altering their water content
 Tonicity effects on red blood cells
• A RBC maintains its normal shape and volume is an isotonic.
– When RBCs are bathed in 0.9% NaCl (normal physiological saline), H2O
molecules enter and exit at same rate, allowing RBCs to keep their
normal shape and volume.
• If RBC placed in a hypotonic solution (pure water).
– Water molecules enter the cells faster than they leave, causing the RBCs
to swell and eventually to burst.
– The rupture of RBCs in this manner is called hemolysis.
• When RBC placed in hypertonic solution has a higher
concentration of solutes than cytosol of RBC.
– Water molecules move out of cells faster than they enter, causing the
cells to shrink.
– Such shrinkage of cells is called crenation.
 Application of Tonicity
• Intravenous (IV) solutions, liquids infused into the blood of a vein, are
isotonic.
– Examples are isotonic saline (0.9%NaCl) and D5W, which stands for dextrose 5%
in water.

• Infusion of a hypertonic solution such as mannitol used to treat cerebral

edema, excess interstitial fluid in the brain.
– Infusion of mannitol solution relieves fluid overload by causing osmosis of water
from interstitial fluid into blood then removed by kidney.

• Hypotonic solutions, given orally or IV, used to treat dehydration.

– The water in hypotonic solution moves from blood into interstitial fluid and then
into body cells to rehydrate them.
 Primary active transport

A typical body cell expends about 40% of ATP it generates on primary active transport.

The poison cyanide (Chemicals that turn off ATP production)—are lethal because they shut down
active transport in cells throughout the body.
 Active transport
• Solutes actively transported, such as Na+, K+, H+, Ca2+, I
(iodide ions), Cl- , amino acids and monosaccharides.

• Example
• Na+/ K+ ATPase in Plasma membrane.
– The Na+-K+ pumps maintain a low concentration of Na and a
high concentration of K in cytosol.
• Ca2+ ATPase in Sarcoplasmic reticulum.
• H+ ATPase in Gastric parietal cells.
Secondary Active transport
 Secondary Active Transport
• Energy stored in a Na concentration gradient is used to drive other substances
across the membrane against their own concentration gradients.
– Na gradient is established by primary active transport, secondary active transport
indirectly uses energy obtained from the hydrolysis of ATP.

• Symporters - Transporters move two substances in the same direction.

– Example – Glucose-Na+ symporter in Kidney cells.
• Antiporters - move two substances in opposite directions.
Example
– Na+/ H+ antiport in kidney cells, reabsorb Na+ and excrete H+.
– The concentration of Ca2+ ions is low in cytosol because Na+/Ca 2+ antiporters eject
calcium ions.
 Application of Digitalis
• Digitalis drug given to patients with heart failure, a condition of
weakened pumping action by heart.

– Digitalis slow the action of Na+- K+ pumps, leads to more Na+ accumulate
inside heart muscle cells.
– The result is a decreased Na+ concentration gradient across plasma
membrane, which causes Na+/Ca 2+ antiporters to slow down.
– As a result, more Ca 2+ remains inside heart muscle cells.

• Increase Ca2+ level in cytosol of heart muscle cells increases the

force of contractions and thus strengthens the force of heartbeat.
 Transport in Vesicles
• A vesicle is a small, spherical sac.
• Vesicles import materials from and release materials into ECF.

• Endocytosis
– Materials move into a cell in a vesicle formed from plasma membrane.
• Exocytosis
– Materials move out of a cell by fusion with plasma membrane of vesicles
formed inside the cell.

• Endocytosis and Exocytosis require energy supplied by ATP.

– Thus, transport in vesicles is an active process.
 Endocytosis
• 1. Receptor-mediated endocytosis
– Cells take up cholesterol containing low-density lipoproteins
(LDLs).
• 2. Phagocytosis
– Two main types of phagocytes are macrophages, located in
many body tissues, and neutrophils a type of white blood cell.
• 3. Bulk-phase endocytosis or pinocytosis.
– Endocytosis in which tiny droplets of extracellular fluid are
taken up.
• Absorptive cells of intestines and kidneys.
Receptor Mediated Endocytosis
• Cells take up cholesterol
containing low-density
lipoproteins (LDLs).
• Transferrin (an iron-
transporting protein in
the blood),
• Vitamins and antibodies
• Certain hormones by
receptor-mediated
endocytosis
 Receptor mediated endocytosis
• The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), causes
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), can
attach to a receptor called CD4.

• This receptor is present in plasma membrane of white

blood cells called helper T cells.

• After binding to CD4, HIV enters the helper T cell via

receptor-mediated endocytosis.
Phagocytosis
• Cell engulfs large solid
particles,
• such as worn-out cells,
whole bacteria or
viruses.
• Two main types of
phagocytes are
macrophages, located in
many body tissues, and
neutrophils.
 Phagocytosis
• Macrophages dispose of invading microbes and
billions of aged, worn-out RBC every day.
• Neutrophils also help rid the body of invading
microbes.
• Pus is a mixture of dead neutrophils, macrophages,
and tissue cells and fluid in an infected wound.
Bulk Phase Endocytosis
• Also called as pinocytosis.
• No receptor proteins are
involved.
• All solutes dissolved in ECF
are brought into cell.
• Bulk-phase endocytosis
occurs in most cells,
especially absorptive cells
in the intestines and
kidneys.
 Exocytosis
• Releases materials from a cell
• 1. Secretory cells that liberate digestive enzymes, hormones,
mucus, or other secretions.
• 2. Nerve cells that release substances called neurotransmitters.

– During exocytosis, membrane-enclosed vesicles called secretory

vesicles form inside the cell, fuse with plasma membrane and release
their contents into ECF.
– Endothelial cells that line blood vessels and is a means for materials
to move between blood plasma and interstitial fluid.
Exocytosis by Golgi bodies
 TRANSCYTOSIS
• Transport in vesicles may also be used to successively
move a substance into, across, and out of a cell.
• Vesicles undergo endocytosis on one side of a cell,
move across the cell, and then undergo exocytosis on
the opposite side.
– Examples
– Secretion of pancreas.
– When a woman is pregnant, some of her antibodies cross
placenta into fetal circulation via transcytosis