Grossmont College Uniform Composition Particles Questions
Make up a solution made of water as the solvent and define what your solute would be (e.g., sugar, Na+ ions, O2, etc.). Tell me which is more abundant, the solvent, or your solute.
Then I want you define a semi-permeable membrane. This can be either a biological setting or an experimental one.
- I want you to image the solute can be found on either side of the membrane, but is in a higher concentration on one side of the semi-permeable membrane. Depending on the solute and the semi-permeable membrane you chose, can your solute diffuse to the other side of the membrane?
- Now, assume you have a semi-permeable membrane that your solute cannot directly diffuse through. Instead you have a trans-membrane protein that acts as a channel to facilitate the diffusion of your solute. Where would your solute travel to (the side with a higher or lower concentration)? Will there ever be no movement of the solute?
- Finally, image you want to transport the solute against its gradient. Describe what this means and how a cell might accomplish this. Describe what kind of energy source might be required.
