The transporter in the figure is considered an example of secondary transport because it uses the electrochemical gradient of one ion (often Na⁺ or H⁺) to drive the movement of another molecule against its own gradient , instead of directly using ATP.

What “secondary transport” means

  • In primary active transport , ATP is hydrolyzed directly by the transporter (e.g., the Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase) to pump ions and build a gradient.
  • In secondary active transport , ATP is used indirectly : a primary pump first creates an ion gradient, and then a different transporter harnesses that gradient to move a second solute uphill.

Why the figure shows secondary transport

Even though you can’t see the figure here, typical textbook diagrams that are labeled “secondary transport” usually show:

  • One ion (for example Na⁺) moving down its gradient into the cell.
  • A second molecule (like glucose, amino acids, or phosphate) being carried into the cell against its gradient at the same time.
  • No ATP‑binding site on that transporter; ATP is only shown on a separate pump (like the Na⁺/K⁺ pump) elsewhere in the diagram.

If your figure matches that pattern—no direct ATP use by the transporter, but a steep ion gradient powering uphill movement of another solute —then it is correctly classified as secondary active transport.