Cell membrane and transport
Selective Permeability: The ability of a cell membrane to allow some substances to pass through while blocking others.
Diffusion: The movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Osmosis: The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.
Passive Transport: The movement of substances across a membrane without using energy.
Concentration Gradient: The difference in concentration of a substance between two areas.
Tonicity: How a solution affects the movement of water into or out of a cell.
Isotonic: A solution with the same concentration of solutes as the inside of a cell, resulting in no net water movement.
Hypertonic: A solution with a higher concentration of solutes than the inside of a cell, causing water to leave the cell.
Hypotonic: A solution with a lower concentration of solutes than the inside of a cell, causing water to enter the cell.
Osmoregulation: The process by which cells or organisms regulate water and solute levels to maintain balance.
Plasmolysis: The shrinking of a plant cell's cytoplasm due to water loss when in a hypertonic solution.
Turgid: A plant cell that is swollen with water, providing firmness.
Flaccid: A plant cell that has lost water and becomes limp.
Facilitated Diffusion: The movement of substances across a membrane through protein channels without energy use.
Ion Channels: Proteins in the cell membrane that allow specific ions to pass through.
Gated Channels: Ion channels that open or close in response to specific signals.
Active Transport: The movement of substances across a membrane using energy (ATP), often against a concentration gradient.
Sodium-Potassium Pump: A protein that uses energy to pump sodium out of the cell and potassium into the cell.
Exocytosis: The process of moving large substances out of a cell by enclosing them in a vesicle.
Endocytosis: The process of bringing large substances into a cell by engulfing them in a vesicle.
Phagocytosis: A type of endocytosis where the cell engulfs large particles or cells.
Pinocytosis: A type of endocytosis where the cell takes in fluids and dissolved substances.