PASSIVE TRANSPORT

Plasma Membrane
- Major component (~50%) is a double-layer of lipids about 5nm thick
o Lipids are freely movable
o Lipids can also be cleaved and take part in cellular reactions
- Other major component (30%) is embedded proteins

Solute Concetrations
- Sodium much higher outside than inside (142 to 15)
o Reverse for Potassium (4.4 to 120)
 Plays key role in membrane differential
- Calcium higher on outside ( 1.2 to 10^-4)
o Same with chloride (102 to 20)

Passive Membrane Transport for Non-electrolytes and Electrolytes (Qualitative)

- Two forces contribute to the passive transport
o Chemical gradient – concentration gradient
o Electrial potential gradient – ionic gradient
 Can be inherent or applied
- Lipophilic molecules can move directly through the membrane
o E.g. Respiratory gases, organic molecules, anesthetics
- Hydrophilic molecules (non-electrolytes) use pores and channels
o E.g. Urea, glycerol
- Water can diffuse passively but also uses aquaporins
o 10% passive, 90% aquaporins
o Aquaporins use facilitated diffusion
- Electrolytes use pores and channels
o Pores are not gated
o Channels can be voltage-gated, ligand-gated, physically energy gated
 Often use second messengers

Quantitative Passive Membrane Transport

- Passive Diffusion
o Movement (Q) depends on Thickness (l) and Area (A) of cell membrane
o Net mass of solute (X) moving across a membrane down its concentration
gradient per unit time  Qx = (Px)*A*(∆[X])
 P = Permeability Constant
• Affected by :
o Diffusion constant
 Relates to size, shape, and charge of molecule
 Fluidity of lipid portion of membrane important
 As are size and charges on chemical groups
lining lumen if thru a pore
 o Ease of entry into membrane (B)
 Relates to membrane permeability relative to
external aqueous enviroment
o Length of route taken by molecule
 Best approximated by membrane thickness
 A = Effective cross-sectional area available for passage through the
membrane
• If through channels, multiply area of channel by # of channels
 X = difference in concentration between outside and inside
o Diffusion can also be described as flux (J)
 Amount of mass of solute X moved per unit of cross sectional area
 J = Qx/A
o Diffusion can also be due to the effects of Potential Difference
 J = z*P*[X](Eo-Ei)
• [X] is equal on both sides of membrane
o Electrochemical gradient defined as sum of chemical and electrical potential
gradients
 Direction of net flux depends on direction of net force
- Flux can also be used to describe current
o Termed electrodiffusion
o GHK Transmembrane current equation is used to figure out current
 Relates to:
• Vm, Xi, Xo, P
 When transmembrane potential and ionic potential are equal and
opposite, net current is zero, system in equilibrium
• This is used to figure out specific transmembrane potential for
each ion
o Directly proportional to intra and extracellular
concentrations
- GHK “Constant Field” Equation for steady-state, monovalent, polyionic, “diffusion
potential”

o
o Most importantly used to predict changes in membrane potential in response
to changes in extracellular ion concentrations
- Changes in Potassium concentration
o Small increase (4.2mM to 10mM) in K+ outside concetration would cause
depolarization
 Outwardly directed gradient for K+ would be decreased
 Leads to reduction in Em because there is less separation of charge
o Leads to increase in excitability, spontaneous APs
- Changes in Membrane Conductance
o K+
 Decreasing permeability for K+ would lead to decreased separation of
charge and depolarization
 Increasing permeability for K+ would lead to increased separation of
charge and hyperpolarization
o Na+
 Decrease in Na+ permeability would have little affect because Na+
contribution to Em is small, since Pna is small initially
 Increase in Na+ permeability would cause significant depolarization
due to Na+ moving into the cell
o During an Action Potential
 Initial fast rise in Na+ conductance
• Followed by spontaneous return of Na+ conductance to resting
level
 Initial slow rise in K+ conductance
• Followed by slow return to resting level

- Remember GHK equation and diffusion equation

o Don’t remember current equation