Cells - Passive Cell Transport Vocab

Concentration

The amount of solute in a solvent

Concentration formula

Mass of solute/volume of solvent

Diffusion

Molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration without using energy

Facilitated diffusion

A protein facilitates the diffusion of a molecule from high to low concentration

Channel proteins

Open and close to allow substances to diffuse through the plasma membrane

Carrier proteins

Change shape to allow substances to diffuse through the plasma membrane

Osmosis

Water diffuses through a selectively permeable membrane

Hypertonic solution

A solution with a higher concentration of solutes than the cell

Hypotonic solution

A solution with a lower concentration of solutes than the cell

Isotonic solution

A solution with the same concentration of solutes as the cell

Osmoregulation

The prevention of excessive uptake or loss of water in animal cells

Plasmolysis

When the plasma membrane of a plant cell pulls away from the cell wall in a hypertonic solution

Cytolysis

When a cell bursts due to excess water diffusing into the cell