Osmosis is defined as which of the following?

Osmosis is defined as which of the following?

• A. The Diffusion Of Water Across A Selectively Permeable Membrane
• B. The Diffusion Of Solutes Like Salts
• C. Movement Of Water Through Aquaporins Only
• D. Active Transport Of Water

Answer: (A)

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a membrane that is permeable to water but not freely permeable to solutes. Water flows from the side with higher water potential (lower solute concentration) to the side with lower water potential (higher solute concentration) in an attempt to equalize solute concentrations on both sides. The defining point is that water is diffusing across a selectively permeable barrier, not the movement of solutes themselves, and it does so without input of energy. Water can move through the lipid bilayer or via water channels called aquaporins, but either way it’s driven by a gradient, not by active transport.

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a membrane that is permeable to water but not freely permeable to solutes. Water flows from the side with higher water potential (lower solute concentration) to the side with lower water potential (higher solute concentration) in an attempt to equalize solute concentrations on both sides. The defining point is that water is diffusing across a selectively permeable barrier, not the movement of solutes themselves, and it does so without input of energy. Water can move through the lipid bilayer or via water channels called aquaporins, but either way it’s driven by a gradient, not by active transport.