Cell Biology: Movement of Substances
Diffusion is the spreading out of particles from areas of high concentration to low concentration - think of how perfume particles move through air until they're evenly spaced. The concentration gradient (the difference between concentrated and less concentrated areas) drives this process.
Temperature matters loads here! Higher temperatures speed up diffusion because particles move about more energetically. The bigger the concentration difference, the faster substances will diffuse.
Osmosis is specifically about water molecules moving across a partially permeable membrane. Water basically tries to 'even up' the concentration on either side of the membrane, moving from less concentrated solutions to more concentrated ones.
Active transport works differently - it moves substances against the concentration gradient (from low to high concentration). This process needs energy because it's working against the natural flow.
Remember: Tiny molecules can pass through cell membranes easily, but bigger molecules like sucrose can't squeeze through!
Plants use these processes brilliantly. Root hair cells stick out into soil and are covered in millions of tiny hairs that create a large surface area. This helps them absorb water and mineral ions efficiently from the soil.
Your body uses diffusion constantly too. Cells take in oxygen and get rid of waste products like carbon dioxide and urea (from protein breakdown) through these natural movement processes.
The surface area to volume ratio determines how easily organisms can exchange substances with their environment - basically, how efficiently stuff can move in and out of living things.