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Bio terms 5.1-2
terms and definitions for 5.1 & 5.2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| passive transport | the movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of energy by the cell |
| diffusion | the movement of particles from regions of higher density to regions of lower density |
| concentration gradient | the difference in concentration of a substance across a distance |
| equilibrium | in biology, a state that exists when the concentration of a substance is the same throughout a space |
| osmosis | the diffusion of water or another solvent from a more dilute solution (of a solute) to a more concentrated solution (of the solute) through a membrane that is permeable to the solvent |
| hypotonic | describes a solution whose solute concentration is LOWER than the solute concentration inside a cell |
| hypertonic | describes a solution whose solute concentration is HIGHER than the solute concentration inside a cell |
| isotonic | a solution whose solute concentration is EQUAL to the solute concentration inside a cell |
| contractile vacuole | in protozoans, an organelle that accumulates water and then releases it periodically to maintain osmotic pressure |
| turgor pressure | the pressure that is exerted on the inside of cell walls and that is caused by the movement of water into the cell |
| plasmolysis | the contraction or shrinking of the cell membrane of a plant cell in a hypertonic solution in response to the loss of water by osmosis |
| lysis | the bursting of a cell |
| facilitated diffusion | the transport of substances through a cell membrane along a concentration gradient with the aid of carrier proteins |
| carrier protein | a protein that transports substances across a cell membrane |
| ion channel | a pore in a cell membrane through which ions can pass |
| active transport | the movement of chemical substances, usually across the cell membrane, against a concentration gradient; requires cells to use energy |
| sodium-potassium pump | a carrier protein that uses ATP to actively transport sodium ions out of a cell and potassium ions into the cell |
| endocytosis | the process by which a cell membrane surrounds a particle and encloses the particle in a vesicle to bring the particle into the cell |
| vesicle | a small cavity or sac that contains materials in a eukaryotic cell; forms when part of the cell membrane surrounds the materials to be taken into the cell or transported within the cell |
| pinocytosis | a method of active transport across the cell membrane in which the cell takes in extracellular fluids |
| phagocytosis | the process by which a cell engulfs large particles or whole cells, either as a defense mechanism or as a means to obtain food |
| phagocyte | a cell that ingests and destroys (digests) foreign matter or microorganisms |
| exocytosis | the process by which a substance is released from the cell through a vesicle that transports the substance to the cell surface and then fuses with the membrane to let the substance out |