Diffusion vs. Active Transport: When Molleculs Go with the Flow or Push Against It

2024-09-17 14:48:18 - Mqnun Amn

Do you know why I love the concept of diffusion? Because just like the evenly dispersed particles, my full heart also instantly feels calmer whenever you're around.

Simply put, diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from areas of high concentration toward areas of low concentration. Diffusion can move without the need for energy. An example of diffusion is dissolving sugar in a glass of water. Over time, the sugar will spread evenly. Diffusion is like putting a ball at the top of a slide. The ball will follow the lower area without using energy. It can be interpreted that diffusion is following the flow.

While active transport is the movement of molecules from low-concentration areas to high-concentration areas with energy. Active transport cannot move without the energy that drives it. An example of active transport is enlarging muscles with intense exercise. With constant exercise, the muscles will enlarge like a pump.

Active transport is like kicking a ball from the bottom of a slide to the top of the slide. It requires energy to move something. It can be interpreted that active transport is against the flow


From the explanation above, we can make a table of the difference between diffusion and active transport:




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