Fundamentals of Cellular Transportation | Chapter 5.2

Regulation of Transport

The basic rule that cells must follow to control the movement of substances across cellular boundaries.

Selectively Permeable

The property of plasma membranes that allows them to regulate the flow of molecules in and out of the cell.

Hydrophobic Molecules

Molecules that can easily dissolve in the lipid bi-layer of the membrane and cross it without difficulty.

Hydrophilic Molecules

Polar molecules, such as sugars, that do not easily cross the membrane.

Transport Proteins

Proteins that enable the passage of hydrophilic substances across the membrane.

Channel Proteins

Transport proteins with a hydrophilic channel that acts as a tunnel for specific molecules to pass through.

Aquaporins

Channel proteins specifically designed to facilitate the passage of water molecules.

Shape Change

The ability of transport proteins to bind to molecules and alter their shape in order to transport them across the membrane.