Enduring Understanding 2B

Growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis require that cells create and maintain internal environments that are different from their external environments.

Cell membranes separate the internal environment of the cell from the external environment. The specialized structure of the membrane described in the fluid mosaic model allows the cell to be selectively permeable, with dynamic homeostasis maintained by the constant movement of molecules across the membrane. Passive transport does not require the input of metabolic energy because spontaneous movement of molecules occurs from high to low concentrations; examples of passive transport are osmosis, diffusion, and facilitated diffusion.

Active transport requires metabolic energy and transport proteins to move molecules from low to high concentrations across a membrane. Active transport establishes concentration gradients vital for dynamic homeostasis, including sodium/potassium pumps in nerve impulse conduction and proton gradients in electron transport chains in photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The processes of endocytosis and exocytosis move large molecules from the external environment to the internal environment and vice versa, respectively.

Eukaryotic cells also maintain internal membranes that partition the cell into specialized regions so that cell processes can operate with optimal efficiency by increasing beneficial interactions, decreasing conflicting interactions and increasing surface area for chemical reactions to occur. Each compartment or membrane-bound organelle localizes reactions, including energy transformation in mitochondria and production of proteins in rough endoplasmic reticulum.