Carrier proteins are also called vectors, permeabilities or transporters. It can combine with a specific solute and transfer the combined solute to the other side of the membrane through the change of its conformation. Carrier protein is a kind of multi-convoluted transmembrane protein, which specifically binds to transfer molecules and makes them cross the plasma membrane. The mechanism is that the conformation of the carrier protein molecule changes reversibly, and the affinity with the transported molecule also changes, thus transferring the molecule to the past.
Channel protein is a hydrophilic channel across plasma membrane, which allows ions of appropriate size to pass along the concentration gradient, so it is also called ion channel. Channel proteins are a kind of protein, which can transport molecules and charged molecules of appropriate size from one side of plasma membrane to the other through simple free diffusion.