The Cell in Its Environment - 2024

Front

What is the concentration gradient?

Back

The concentration gradient is the difference in the concentration of a substance across a space. Substances tend to move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Front

What is passive transport?

Back

Passive transport is the movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of energy. It occurs along the concentration gradient.

Front

What is active transport?

Back

Active transport is the movement of substances across a cell membrane that requires energy, usually against the concentration gradient.

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

Front

What does isotonic mean?

Back

Isotonic refers to a solution where the concentration of solutes is the same inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Front

What does hypertonic mean?

Back

Hypertonic refers to a solution that has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move out of the cell.

Front

What does hypotonic mean?

Back

Hypotonic refers to a solution that has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move into the cell.

Front

What is exocytosis?

Back

Exocytosis is the process by which a cell expels materials in vesicles that fuse with the cell membrane, releasing their contents outside the cell.

Front

What is endocytosis?

Back

Endocytosis is the process by which a cell takes in materials by engulfing them in a vesicle formed from the cell membrane.

Front

What is the role of the cell membrane?

Back

The cell membrane controls what enters and exits the cell, maintaining homeostasis and protecting the cell's internal environment.