Answer to Question #190495 in Cell Biology for Nicole

Question

How important is it to organisms that cells are capable of transporting bulky molecules, regardless of the permeability of the membrane?

Answer 1

The purpose of the transport proteins is to protect the cell's internal environment and to keep its balance of salts, nutrients, and proteins within a range that keeps the cell and the organism alive. There are four main ways that molecules can pass through a phospholipid membrane.