Final answer:
True, active transport requires a membrane protein because it involves moving substances against their concentration gradient, which cannot be accomplished without assistance from carrier proteins or pumps using energy, often ATP.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or False: Transport away from equilibrium requires a membrane protein. This statement is generally true, as active transport requires a membrane protein to move substances against their concentration gradient. These membrane proteins, which can be channels or pumps such as carrier proteins, use energy in the form of ATP to transport molecules and ions across cell membranes from an area of low concentration to an area of higher concentration.
The plasma membrane is responsible for controlling what enters and exits the cell, and utilizes various types of transport proteins to maintain homeostasis. Passive transport methods such as facilitated diffusion can move substances with the concentration gradient without the use of ATP, but they still rely on membrane proteins to facilitate the movement of substances that cannot easily pass through the lipid bilayer on their own. In contrast, active transport always requires the input of energy and the presence of a transport protein or pump.