Cell Membranes and Transport Processes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to cell membranes and transport processes as discussed in the lecture.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution that has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing the cell to shrink as water moves out.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution that has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing the cell to swell and potentially burst as water moves in.

Isotonic Solution

A solution in which the concentration of solutes is equal inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Active Transport

The movement of ions or molecules across a cell membrane from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration, requiring energy (ATP) to do so.

Sodium-Potassium Pump

A type of active transport that moves sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell, maintaining the necessary concentration gradients.

Facilitated Diffusion

The process by which molecules diffuse across the plasma membrane with the help of carrier proteins or channel proteins, without the use of energy.

Endocytosis

A cellular process in which substances are brought into the cell by engulfing them in a membrane-bound vesicle.

Exocytosis

The process of vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane to release their contents outside the cell.

Membrane Potential

The electrical potential difference across a cell membrane, created by the differential distribution of ions.