passive transport vocab- blue

carrier protein

a type of transport protein that binds to a specific substance and changes shape to help move it across a cell membrane during facilitated diffusion

channel protein

a type of transport protein that forms a pore in the cell membrane, allowing specific molecules or ions to pass through via facilitated diffusion

concentration gradient

the difference in the concentration of a substance between two regions, which drives diffusion

diffusion

the passive movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration

equilibrium

the point at which molecules are evenly distributed across a space, meaning diffusion stops because there is no longer a concentration gradient

facilitated transport(facilitated diffusion)

a type of passive transport in which molecules move across a membrane with the help of transport proteins, following the concentration gradient

hydrophobic molecules

nonpolar molecules(such as oxygen and carbon dioxide) that easily pass through the lipid bilayer by simple diffusion

lipid bilayer

the double layer of phosphlipids that makes up the cell membrane, allowing small, nonpolar molecules to pass via simple diffusion

passive transport

the movement of substances across a cell membrane without using energy, including both simple and facilitated diffusion

polar molecules

molecules with partial charges(such as glucose and ions) that cannot pass through the lipid bilayer easily and require facilitated diffusion

selective permeability

the property of the cell membrane that allows some substances to pass freely while restricting others, affecting both simple and facilitated diffusion

solute

a substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution, which can move across a membrane by diffusion

transport protein

a protein embedded in the membrane that helps move substances across during facilitated diffusion