Osmosis and Diffusion

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

Front

What is diffusion?

Back

Diffusion is the process by which molecules spread from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration until equilibrium is reached.

Front

What is a hypotonic solution?

Back

A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of a cell, causing water to enter the cell and potentially leading to swelling or bursting.

Front

What is a hypertonic solution?

Back

A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of a cell, causing water to leave the cell and leading to shrinkage.

Front

What is an isotonic solution?

Back

An isotonic solution has the same concentration of solutes as the inside of a cell, resulting in no net movement of water into or out of the cell.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypotonic solution?

Back

The cell swells as water enters due to osmosis, and it may burst if the pressure becomes too great.

Front

What happens to a cell in a hypertonic solution?

Back

The cell shrinks as water leaves the cell due to osmosis.

Front

What is the role of the cell membrane in osmosis and diffusion?

Back

The cell membrane is selectively permeable, allowing certain molecules to pass while blocking others, thus regulating the movement of substances in and out of the cell.

Front

What is the solvent in a solution?

Back

The solvent is the substance in which solutes are dissolved; in biological systems, water is often the solvent.

Front

What is a solute?

Back

A solute is a substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution.