Question

Large molecules, such as glucose, that cannot cross the lipid bilayer can still move across the membrane through a type of passive transport called?

Answer 1

Facilitated diffusion. It is a passive transport mechanism in which carrier proteins shuttle molecules across the cell membrane without using the cell’s energy supplies. Instead, the energy is provide by the concentration gradient, which means that molecules are transported from higher to lower concentrations, into or out of the cell. The carrier proteins bind to glucose, which causes them to change shape and translocate the glucose from one side of the membrane to the other. Red blood cells use facilitated diffusion to absorb glucose.