NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

A nurse administers a drug to a client. Following ingestion, the drug crosses a membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. The nurse understands that this is an example of which of the following?

1. active transport

2. diffusion

3. metabolism

4. osmosis

The correct answer is: active transport

This scenario describes the process of diffusion. Diffusion is the passive movement of a substance from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In this case, the drug is crossing a membrane following ingestion, moving from an area where it is more concentrated to an area where it is less concentrated. Option A, active transport, involves the movement of substances against a concentration gradient, requiring energy expenditure. Metabolism (Option C) refers to the chemical processes within a living organism to maintain life. Osmosis (Option D) specifically describes the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.