Related Concept Videos
01:23Transcellular Transport of Solutes
Transcellular transport of solutes is the movement of substances like monosaccharides and amino acids through polarized cells. This transport mechanism is primarily seen in epithelial and endothelial cells aided by membrane transport proteins such as channels and transporters. The tight junctions between these cells confine the membrane proteins to the two sides of the cell. The epithelial cells have distinct apical and basolateral domains. In contrast, the endothelial cells show the luminal...
01:24Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
01:23Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
01:18Fluid Movement Between Compartments
The force applied by fluids against a surface, known as hydrostatic pressure, initiates the transfer of fluid among different compartments. Within our blood vessels, the blood's hydrostatic pressure is a result of the heart's pumping action. At the arteriolar end of capillaries, hydrostatic pressure (capillary blood pressure) exceeds the opposing colloid osmotic pressure created primarily by plasma proteins like albumin. This discrepancy in pressure propels plasma and nutrients from the...
01:44The Significance of Membrane Transport
The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
You might also read
Related Articles
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
Sort by
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
18:57
Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
Published on: October 17, 2013
Intercellular transport.
1West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, 400 North Lee Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901, USA. jthatcher@osteo.wvsom.edu
Science Signaling
|April 18, 2013
Summary
Learn about intercellular transport with animations explaining molecule permeability and gap junctions. These visual aids are great for college courses in biology and biochemistry.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Intercellular transport is crucial for cellular function.
- Understanding molecule movement across cell membranes is key in biological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide visual resources for teaching intercellular transport.
- To illustrate molecular permeability and the function of gap junctions.
Main Methods:
- Development of animations visualizing cellular transport mechanisms.
- Focus on "permeability and transport" and "gap junctions" animations.
Main Results:
- Animations demonstrate the selective permeability of cell membranes to different molecule classes.
- Visualizations show how gap junctions facilitate the passage of small molecules between cells while excluding larger ones.
More Related Videos
Conclusions:
- These animations are valuable educational tools for collegiate-level science courses.
- They effectively explain complex concepts in cell biology, biochemistry, and physiology.