Transport Mechanisms and Signal Transduction

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to transport mechanisms and signal transduction processes.

Carrier protein

A type of transport protein that binds to molecules and changes shape to shuttle them across the membrane.

Facilitated diffusion

A transport mechanism that uses transport proteins to move substances across a cell membrane without energy input.

Active transport

The movement of molecules across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, using energy.

Electrogenic pump

A pump that creates a voltage across a membrane, typically by moving unequal quantities of ions.

Isotonic solution

A solution with the same concentration of solutes as the cytoplasm of a cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Signal transduction

The process by which a signal molecule activates a receptor and triggers a series of events within a cell.

Second messenger

Intracellular signaling molecules released in response to the activation of a receptor, which help amplify the signal.