AP Biology Period 2 #WongNation

Devansh Taori Biology AP, Period 2 Introduction In all living things, cells are of paramount importance to ensure the effective functioning of micro-tasks. Transport is a major issue for cells because maintaining homeostasis is necessary, or else the cell will lose its effectiveness. Often, movement is regulated by cellular membranes (phospholipid bilayers with embedded proteins) or by simple diffusion. Osmosis refers to the diffusion process for water – this is common in cells. However, cells can also use aquaporins (specialized protein channels) for the transport of water. Generally, in diffusion, solutes move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, seeking equilibrium. Diffusion doesn't require energy. On the other hand, the opposite process (moving a solute from a lower concentration to a higher concentration) does require energy (in the form of ATP) and is usually mediated with pumps. There are three main terms that describe solutions se