What is the difference between active transport and facilitated diffusion?

Facilitated diffusion is the movement of the substance from high to low concentration. It does not require energy.On the other hand it involves protein channels or carriers.

Active transport is when energy or ATP used to transport substance against their concentration gradient. Example is the movement of ion from soil into the root hair cells.

Active Transport requires energy (ATP). Diffusion does not

Active transport requires energy ATP in order to take place as you are going against the concentration gradient.

Facilitated diffusion is still passive however it required protein channels across the phospholipid membrane to take place.

In active transport, the movement of particles goes against the concentration gradient, so from an area of low concentration to high concentration. Active transport also requires energy to drive the process.

Facilitated diffusion is a passive process, similar to regular diffusion where molecules move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. However the difference is that facilitated diffusion requires the aid of a carrier or channel protein to help move the molecules across a membrane. The molecule will be specific to the protein involved and usually polar or large.

Facilitated diffusion follows a concentration gradient (from high to low) whereas active transport is the opposite - moving molecules from low concentration to high concentration. Both involve a intermediary carrier like a protein channel or a carrier, but active transport requires the use of ATP to go against the concentration gradient, and facilitated diffusion is passive, merely helped by the carrier across a membrane to follow the gradient.

Hello, active transport is an 'active' process therefore the use of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is required. On the other hand, facilitated diffusion is a 'passive' process thus it does not require ATP.

Hello,

Good question.

Active transport is the movement of substances from low to high concentration, therefore it requires energy in the form of ATP. So, we call active transport an "active process".

Facilitated diffusion is the movement of substances from a high to low concentration, with the use of carrier or protein channels, as it's going down the concentration gradient it does not require energy. Therefore, facilitated diffusion is a "passive process".

Active transport and facilitated diffusion differ mainly in energy use and movement direction. Active transport requires energy (usually ATP) to move molecules against their concentration gradient, from low to high concentration. In contrast, facilitated diffusion does not require energy, as it moves molecules along their concentration gradient, from high to low concentration, using specific carrier or channel proteins.

Active transport is movement of molecules from low to high concentration, in other words, against their concentration gradient. As you are moving molecules that would not typically like to travel to a location where there are already high in concentration, it requires energy (from the hydrolysis of ATP) to do so. The requirement of energy to move the molecules is what makes this process active. An example of active transport is glucose absorption in the gut - it would make no sense to allow some glucose molecules to remain in the gut after digestion (what a waste of time, we need it all for respiration!) so we must use active transport to shuttle them across.

Facilitated diffusion, however, is a passive process - it does not require energy to take place and will happen of its own accord, so long as there is a channel or carrier protein present in the membrane that allows the molecule to pass though the cell membrane. Whilst molecules such as oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse freely across a membrane, molecules that are large and polar/charged cannot do so due to the properties of the phospholipid bilayer - here, they need a carrier protein in the membrane that will allow them to pass through. An example of facilitated diffusion is the movement of water molecules through special carrier molecules called aquaporins.

The main differences between active transport and facilitated diffusion are the direction of the transported material in relation to the concentration gradient and the use of energy. In facilitated diffusion, materials are transported from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration (through a concentration gradient) without the use of energy. In contrast, in active transport, active use of energy (e.g. in the form of ATP) is used to actively move materials from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration (against the concentration gradient).

Active Transport is a cellular process that uses energy to move molecules and ions across membranes from an area of high concentration to low concentration, against the concentration gradient. Facilitated diffusion does not require energy (ATP). Both processes involve carrier proteins. A molecule will attach to the carrier protein, causing a conformational change in the protein and releasing the molecule on the other side.

Active transport requires energy and moves the substances from low concentration to high concentration. But facilitated diffusion is passive transport which requires no energy and transport substances from high concentration to low concentration

Active transport requires ATP whereas facilitated diffusion does not as it is passive.

Active transport allows the movement of water soluble molecules and ions against the concentration gradient, whereas facilitated diffusion allows for movement down a concentration gradient.

Facilitated diffusion can occur through both channel and carrier proteins whereas active transport can occur only through carrier proteins.

Active transport involves the movement of molecules against the concentration gradient, and uses ATP. Facilitated diffusion is a passive process, meaning it doesn't use ATP. As opposed to simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion uses membrane proteins, like a carrier or channel.

Facilitated diffusion is down the concentration gradient from higher concentration to lower concentration and does not require energy, whereas active transport is from lower concentration to higher concentration against the concentration gradient and requires energy.