4.4 Active Transport

Active Transport

  • %%The movement of molecule sin or out of the cell from a region of low conc. to high conc. using ATP and carrier proteins%%
  • Metabolic %%energy from ATP%% is needed
  • Substances moved %%against conc. gradient%%
  • %%Carrier proteins%% act as pumps
  • Every carrier protein is unique to each type of molecule that needs to be transported across a membrane. The sodium/potassium pump is one of the most common carrier proteins.
  1. Carrier proteins span whole membrane and bind to molecule or ion to be transported
  2. %%Molecule or ion binds to receptor site on carrier protein%%
  3. On inside of cell/organism, %%ATP binds to protein which hydrolyses it into ADP and Pi%%
  4. As a result, %%protein changes shape%% and %%opens to opposite side of membrane%%
  5. %%Molecule/ion released on other side of membrane%%
  6. %%Pi released from protein so returns to original shape to repeat process%%
  7. %%Pi and ADP re-join via respiration%%
  • Sometimes more than 1 molecule is moved, either in the same or different directions
  • e.g. sodium potassium pump, sodium ions are moved out of cells as potassium ions are moved in