In: Biology
Which of the following is/are (a) defining property/properties of facilitated diffusion?
It always occurs in the direction of electrochemical equilibrium.
Solutes transported by this mechanism move across membranes much faster than they could if they did not associate with transporter proteins.
The mechanism requires solutes to bind reversibly with binding sites on the transporter proteins.
All of the above
Only choice a. and b. are correct.
All the above are correct for facilitated diffusion.
Facilitated diffusion (also known as facilitated transport) is a form of passive transport across a biological membrane in which a transporter protein facilitates (or mediates or catalyzes) the movement of an otherwise membrane-impermeant molecule or ion across the plasma membrane down its concentration or electrochemical gradient.
Facilitated transport in a membrane involves a chemical agent as a carrier to increase the rate of transport. A chemical agent can react reversibly with a permeant and yields high selectivity and permeability, which makes facilitated transport a very selective separation technique. The chemical agent carries the substance in the form of a carrier-bound substance; the carrier releases the substance on the other side of the membrane due to chemical conditions (mainly pH and electric charge) and diffuses back.