The active site, in biology, refers to the region of an enzyme where the molecules of substrate combine and goes through a chemical reaction. The active site comprises of the residues, which produce temporary bonds with the binding site (substrate) and residues that catalyze a reaction of that substrate, that is, the catalytic site.
The previous statement is true because if a substance cannot get into a cell membrane it is assisted via protein channels however if it doesn't need the protein channels then it just flows through the membrane.