What are the differences between active and passive membrane transport?
Posted January 27, 2022
Answer
Membrane transport refers to the transport of molecules across the cell membrane. There are two main types of membrane transport – active and passive – with notable differences between the two.
Basis Of Differentiation | Active Membrane Transport | Passive Membrane Transport |
Definition | Is the active movement of ions or molecules across the cell membrane against the concentration gradient using ATP (energy) | Is the passive movement of ions or molecules across the cell membrane through the concentration gradient without using ATP (energy) |
Energy usage | Uses cellular energy in the form of ATP to transport molecules across the cell membrane | Does not require cellular energy to transport molecules across the cell membrane |
Types of molecules transported | Transports all molecules including ions, proteins, complex sugars, and large cells | Transports all soluble molecules including lipids, oxygen, monosaccharides, carbon dioxide, and sex hormones |
Type of Process | Rapid, dynamic process | Slow, physical process |
Direction of movement | Movement of molecules is unidirectional | Movement of molecules is bidirectional |
Circulation | Circulates from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration | Circulates from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration |
Role in maintaining/disrupting equilibrium | Disrupts the equilibrium by allowing molecules to pass through the cell membrane | Maintains dynamic equilibrium of water, gasses, nutrients, and waste by passive diffusion between cytosol and extracellular environment |
Influencing factors | Influenced by temperature, metabolic inhibitors, and oxygen levels | Not influenced by temperature, metabolic inhibitors, or oxygen levels |
Importance | Essential for the entry of large, insoluble molecules into the cell | Maintains the delicate homeostasis between the cytosol and extracellular fluid |
Types | Endocytosis, exocytosis, sodium-potassium pump | Diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis |
Additional resources
Active intracellular transport in metastatic cells studied by spatial light interference microscopy