Science 3.10

When both water and salts are present in a solution and the cell needs water, which process enables the cell to obtain the water without the salt?

• osmosis through a permeable membrane

• diffusion through a permeable membrane

• osmosis through a semipermeable membrane

• diffusion through a nuclear membrane

What is the difference between osmosis and diffusion?

• Diffusion uses energy, but osmosis does not.

• Osmosis is movement of proteins, and diffusion is movement of water.

• Osmosis is a kind of diffusion that involves movement of water.

• Diffusion only occurs in animal cells, and osmosis only occurs in plant cells

How are osmosis and diffusion alike?

• Both processes can occur across semipermeable membranes.

• Both processes occur through permeable bilayer membranes.

• Both require additional energy provided by channel proteins.

• Both allow solute molecules to move across a semipermeable membrane.

What is one specific form of simple diffusion?

• If water moves into a cell by diffusion, it is moving into an area of higher solute concentration.

• If water moves into a cell by osmosis, it is moving into an area of higher solute concentration.

• If water moves into a cell by diffusion, it is moving from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

• If water moves into a cell by osmosis, it is moving into an area of higher water concentration.

Why is diffusion important to cells?

• It permits the sorting of water molecules from solute molecules, such as sugar.

• It regulates salt content in the cell, preventing bloating and shriveling.

• It helps maintain the balance of materials needed for survival, such as oxygen and water.

• The back and forth movement creates extra energy as ADP is transformed into ATP.