Osmosis and Diffusion

Front

What is osmosis?

Back

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

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 happens to cells in a hypertonic solution?

Back

Cells placed in a hypertonic solution will lose water and shrink.

Front

What happens to cells in a hypotonic solution?

Back

Cells placed in a hypotonic solution will gain water and may expand or burst.

Front

What is an isotonic solution?

Back

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

Front

What is a solvent?

Back

A solvent is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. In the ocean, water is the solvent.

Front

What is a solute?

Back

A solute is a substance that is dissolved in a solvent. For example, salt is a solute in seawater.

Front

Why should a person avoid drinking salty water?

Back

Drinking salty water can cause cells to shrink due to osmosis, as water moves out of the cells to balance the salt concentration.

Front

What is the role of a selectively permeable membrane?

Back

A selectively permeable membrane allows certain molecules to pass through while blocking others, facilitating processes like osmosis and diffusion.

Front

What is equilibrium in the context of diffusion?

Back

Equilibrium is reached when the concentration of molecules is equal throughout a space, resulting in no net movement of molecules.