Active Transport
Contents
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Active transport is the movement of a substance from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration against the concentration gradient.
About Active Transport
- Active transport requires energy to move a substance against the concentration gradient.
- Active transport is an essential process for all living organisms. It is used to take in nutrients when there is not a high enough concentration to diffuse into the organism.
- Active transport allows organisms to take in nutrients more quickly and in greater quantities than diffusion.
- Active transport takes place across the cell membrane where there are special protein molecules which act as pumps to move substances from one side of the cell membrane to the other. Since the cell membrane is selectively permeable those substances cannot diffuse back again.
References
AQA
- Active transport, page 19, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Active transport, page 22, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Active transport, pages 20-21, GCSE Biology; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Active transport, pages 35-6, GCSE Biology, Hodder, AQA
- Active transport, pages 36-7, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
- Active transport, pages 52, 53, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Biology, CGP, AQA
- Active transport, pages 58, 59, GCSE Biology, CGP, AQA
- Active transport, pages, 36, 92-3, 180-9, 117, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Edexcel
- Active transport of substances, pages 21, 93, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Active transport of substances, pages 25, 131, 159, GCSE Biology, Pearson, Edexcel
- Active transport, page 18, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Active transport, page 21, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Active transport, page 51, GCSE Biology, CGP, Edexcel