When you literally stop to smell the roses, the scent molecules in the cells that make up the rose petals spontaneously move, unaided, across the cell membrane and into the air.

Question

What type of transport best describes the movement of the scent molecules leaving the rose petals?

Group of answer choices

active transport



facilitated diffusion

simple diffusion

bulk transport

Answer 1

The movement of scent molecules leaving the rose petals is best described as simple diffusion.

In this process, the scent molecules move from an area of higher concentration (inside the rose petals) to an area of lower concentration (the air) without the need for energy input or assistance from transport proteins. It relies on the natural tendency for substances to move until they are evenly distributed.