Osmosis & Diffusion Flashcard 1

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through 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 solutes (molecules) move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Front

What does selectively-permeable mean?

Back

Selectively-permeable means that a cell membrane controls what substances can pass in and out of the cell.

Front

What is a concentration gradient?

Back

A concentration gradient is the difference in the concentration of a substance across a space.

Front

What happens to molecules during diffusion?

Back

Molecules spread out evenly in a space, moving from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Front

What is an example of diffusion in everyday life?

Back

An example of diffusion is the smell of perfume spreading in a room.

Front

What is the difference between osmosis and diffusion?

Back

Osmosis specifically refers to the movement of water, while diffusion refers to the movement of solutes.

Front

What is an isotonic solution?

Back

An isotonic solution is one where the concentration of solutes is the same inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Front

What is a hypertonic solution?

Back

A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move out of the cell.

Front

What is a hypotonic solution?

Back

A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell, causing water to move into the cell.