Aquaporins allow water molecules to pass across lipid membranes at a faster rate than would be possible by diffusion alone, while excluding most other molecules. the protein consists of four subunits, each with an hourglass-shaped channel lined with charged chemical groups that interact with polar water molecules so that they can pass through.. These aquaporin proteins form complexes that span the membrane and water moves through these channels passively in response to osmotic gradients. these channel proteins are present in highest concentrations in tissues where rapid transmembrane water movement is important (eg in renal tubules).. Aquaporins are proteins embedded in the plasma membrane that allow water molecules to move between the extracellular matrix and the intracellular space. based on its function and location, describe the key features of the protein's shape and the chemical characteristics of its amino acids..
Aquaporins (aqps) are a family of membrane water channel proteins that osmotically modulate water fluid homeostasis in several tissues; some of them also transport small solutes such as glycerol. at the cellular level, the aqps regulate not only cell migration and transepithelial fluid transport across membranes, but also common events that are crucial for the inflammatory response.. Aquaporins are found in a high concentration in the epithelial cells that produce aqueous humor (as well as other epithelial cells that allow water to move readily across their membrane, e.g., epithelial cells in the kidney). from: biofluid mechanics (second edition), 2015. related terms: carbon nanotubes; biomimetics; forward osmosis; protein; reverse osmosis. The water molecules move across the cell membrane by travelling along the concentration gradient of the solution (low to high). explanation: osmosis is the process in which a solvent moves from a solution of low concentration to a solution of higher concentration ..