Maitha Saif Alaryani

12g1 Am

Membrane Structure and Function

How do substances move in and out of cells?

Why?
Advertisements for sports drinks, such as Gatorade®, PowerAde®, and Vitaminwater™, etc. seem to be
everywhere. All of these drinks are supposed to help your body recover and replenish lost electrolytes,
fluids, and vitamins after exercise. But how do the essential molecules contained in these drinks get into
your cells quickly to help you recover after exercise?

Model 1 – Simple Diffusion

Semi-permeable membrane

1. How many different types of molecules are shown in Model 1?

Two types of molecules

2 Count and record the number of triangles and circles found on each side of the membrane.
Left side : 14 triangles and 12 circles
Right side : 0 triangled and 13 circles
3. Which shape is larger?
The triangle is larger

4. Describe the direction of the movement of the molecules in Model 1?

The direction of molecules was random moving toward all directions

5. Which molecules are able to pass through the semi-permeable membrane? Justify your answer.
Circles can fit through the gaps due to their small size and since they are almost evenly distributed
on both sides of the membrane
6. If you left this “system” for an extended period of time and then viewed it again, would you ex-
pect to find any changes in the concentrations of the molecules on either side of the membrane?
Justify your answer.
No I don't expect any changes since the triangles are to large to get through the membrane, they will
remain on the left side.According to their size and random movemeny, circles will remain uniformly
scttered on both sides.

Membrane Structure and Function 1

Model 2 – The Selectively Permeable Cell Membrane

Small nonpolar or small polar molecules

Phospholipid

Small surface protein

Inside the cell
Membrane-spanning protein

Carbohydrate chain

Glycoprotein

Glycolipid

Outside the cell

7. What two major types of biological molecules compose the majority of the cell membrane in
Model 2?
The two major types of molecules in the model are phospholipids and memebrane-spanning proteins

8. How many different protein molecules are found in Model 2?

3 Small surface proteins and 10 Membrane-spanning proteins, a total of 13

9. What is the difference between the position of the surface proteins and the membrane-spanning
proteins?
The difference is that the surface proteins stay on the surface only whereas the membrane spanning
proteins span the cell memebrane
10. When a carbohydrate chain is attached to a protein, what is the structure called?
Glycoprotein

11. When a carbohydrate is attached to a phospholipid, what is the structure called?

Glycolipid

12. What types of molecules are shown moving across the membrane?
Small nonpolar or small polar molecules
13. Where exactly in the membrane do these molecules pass through?
They move through the phospholipid bilayer
14. How does the concentration of the small molecules inside the cell compare to that outside the cell?
When compared to the outside of the cell, there are many less small molceules inside. Small
molecules concentrations are higher outside than inside.

2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

 15. Because particles move randomly, molecules tend to move across the membrane in both direc-
tions. Does the model indicate that the molecules are moving in equal amounts in both direc-
tions? Justify your answer using complete sentences.
No the molecules are not moving in equal amounts. According to the arrows we can see that 3
small either polar or nonpolar molecules are moving into the cell while only one molecule is
moving out of the cell.

Read This!
When there is a difference in concentration of a particular particle on either side of a membrane, a
concentration gradient exists. Particles move along the concentration gradient from high to low con-
centration until a state of equilibrium is reached. At that point, there is no more net movement in one
direction, although the particles continue to move randomly across the membrane, often called dynamic
equilibrium. The net movement of particles along the concentration gradient is called diffusion.

16. Look back at Models 1 and 2. Which particles are moving by diffusion across the membranes
shown?
The dots in both models are the molecules that were moving by diffusion across the membrane

17. Using all the information from the previous models and questions circle the correct response to
correctly fill in each blank.
a. Diffusion is the net movement of molecules from an area of (low/high)
concentration to an area of (low/high) concentration.
b. The molecules will continue to move along this (semi-permeable membrane/
concentration gradient) until they reach (diffusion/equilibrium).
c. Once equilibrium is reached, molecules will continue to move across a membrane
(randomly/in one direction).

Membrane Structure and Function 3

Model 3 – Facilitated Diffusion

Glucose Hormones

Hormone
binding site

Gated channel Channel begins to open

18. Which part of the cell membrane is shown in more detail in Model 3?
The membrane spanning proteins (Channel proteins ) are shown in more details
19. What is the gap between the proteins called?
Gated channel

20. What type of molecules attach to the protein?

Glucose attach to the proteins

21. Explain in detail what happened that allowed the glucose molecules to pass through.
The hormone attaches to the bindind site on the channel protein, causing the channel
to open by altering or changing shape, allowing glucose molecules to enter the cell.

4 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

Read This!
Some molecules, such as glucose, use gated channels as shown in Model 3; however, not all channels are
gated. Some channels remain permanently open and are used to transport ions and water across the cell
membrane.
22. Discuss with your group why the type of protein channel in Model 3 is called a gated channel.
Write your group’s responses below.
They are called gated channels since they act like a gate in which when the the hormone binds
with the protein, it functions lika a key unlocking the gate and allowing the glucose molecules to
pass through.
23. To facilitate means to help. Explain why this type of diffusion is called facilitated diffusion.
Its called facilitated diffusion since the hormone insulin aids glucose absorption by widening
the channel. It is still the process diffusion because the glucose goes from higher concentration
area to lower concentration area.
24. The “tails” of phospholipids are nonpolar; therefore, they do not readily interact with charged
particles such as ions. How can this explain why facilitated diffusion is necessary for the transport
of ions such as Na+ and K+ across the cell membrane? In other words, why would these ions not
cross by simple diffusion?
Na+ and K+ can't cross by simple diffusion because they are positively charged ions that would
attach to the negatively charged polar heads of the phosopholipid

Model 4 – Active Transport

Substance to be transported

Ion-binding site

ADP

ATP ATP

ATP-binding site

Membrane Structure and Function 5

 25. Which part of the cell membrane is shown in more detail in Model 4? Look back at Model 2 if
needed.
The membrane spanning proteins (Channel proteins ) are shown in more details
26. What shape represents the substance being transported across the membrane in Model 4?
The diamond shape
27. List two binding sites found on the protein.
Ion-binding site
ATP-binding site
28. In which direction is the transported substance moving—from an area of high concentration to
low or from an area of low concentration to high? Support your answer.

According to the diagram we could see that the fewer ions move outside towards the more ions this
means that they move from low concentration to high concentration area.

29. Is the substance being moved along (down) a concentration gradient? Justify your answer.
No its being moved up against the gradient from an area of low concentration to high
concentration

30. ATP is a type of molecule that can provide energy for biological processes. Explain how the
energy is being used in Model 4.
ATP provides its energy to change the shape of the channel protein inorder to for the molecule to
bind and move across the membrane

31. What happens to the ATP after it binds to the protein?

After the ATP binds to the protein giving it energy it will lose one phosphate group and
will turn into ADP instead

32. The type of transport shown in Model 4 is called active transport, while diffusion and
facilitated diffusion are called passive transport. Given the direction of the concentration
gradient in active and passive transport examples, explain why active transport requires energy
input by the cell.

Active transport demands energy beacuse the molecules were pushed against (up) the concentration
gradient, from a low concentration to a high concentration. While in passive transport because the
molecules travel from high to low concentration or down the gradient, it doesn't require energy

6 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

 33. With your group, complete the table below to show the difference between active and passive
transport.

Passive Transport
Active Transport
Diffusion Facilitated Diffusion
Requires energy input
by the cell
Molecules move along (down)
a concentration gradient
Moves molecules against (up)
a concentration gradient
Always involves channel
(membrane-spanning)proteins
Molecules pass between
the phospholipids

Moves ions like Na+ and K+

Moves large molecules

Moves small nonpolar and

polar molecules
34. With your group develop a definition for active transport.

Active transport is a process that requires energy input by the cell which moves molecules
against(up) the concentrati gradient from low to high ceonentration by involving channel
proteins that will transport ions such as Na+ and K+ and large molecules

Membrane Structure and Function 7

Extension Questions
Active transport

Rate of transport Diffusion

Facilitated diffusion

Concentration difference

35. Given the information in the graph, which type of cell transport would be best to move
substances into or out of the cell quickly?
Active transport

36. Which type of transport would be the best if the cell needs to respond to a sudden concentration
gradient difference?
Diffusion were the rate increases as the concentration gradient increases
37. Why would the line representing facilitated diffusion level off as the concentration gets higher,
while the line representing diffusion continues to go up at a steady rate?
Facilitated diffusion depends on channnel proteins and ATP therfore these factors will limit how fast
the substance is moved
38. Why does active transport, on the same graph, start off with such a high initial rate compared to
diffusion and facilitated diffusion?

Active transport doesn't relie on concentration gradient, only it depends on ATP

8 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology