Osmosis and Diffusion

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.

Front

What is diffusion?

Back

Diffusion is the process by which molecules spread from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until they are evenly distributed.

Front

What does 'hypotonic' mean?

Back

Hypotonic refers to a solution that has a lower concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Front

What does 'hypertonic' mean?

Back

Hypertonic refers to a solution that has a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Front

What does 'isotonic' mean?

Back

Isotonic refers to a solution that has the same concentration of solutes as another solution, resulting in no net movement of water.

Front

What is equilibrium in the context of osmosis and diffusion?

Back

Equilibrium is the state where the concentration of molecules is equal on both sides of a membrane, resulting in no net movement.

Front

What role do cell membranes play in osmosis and diffusion?

Back

Cell membranes are semi-permeable, allowing certain molecules to pass through while blocking others, facilitating osmosis and diffusion.

Front

What is the significance of concentration gradients in diffusion?

Back

Concentration gradients drive the movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Front

How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion?

Back

Higher temperatures increase the energy of molecules, leading to faster movement and a quicker rate of diffusion.

Front

What is facilitated diffusion?

Back

Facilitated diffusion is the process by which molecules pass through a cell membrane via special proteins, without the use of energy.