Membrane transport: OSMOSIS

Week 6
ADA Biology department
Objectives

• How does water diffuse through partially permeable membranes?

• Why is Osmosis a specific example of Diffusion?
• Why does water move in and out of the cell membrane via osmosis?
• What is water concentration?
• How can we understand Osmosis? – via simulation!
• What are some of the examples of osmosis in the living things?
• Why Osmosis is important for living things?
• What is Active transport and why is it important?
• What are the examples of the Active transport in biological things? - Video
Osmosis
• Net movement of
Water across
semi-permeable cell
membrane
Water
concentration
• Solution has high
water concentration
when there is less
solute in it
• Dilute solution –
higher water
concentration
• Concentrated
solution – lower
water concentration
Water concentration gradient

net movement of water molecules from a

region of higher water concentration to a
region of
lower water concentration
Osmosis
• Water moves from
a dilute
solution (high
concentration of
water) to a more
concentrated
solution (low
concentration of
water)
Concentration gradient

Water moves down the

concentration gradient
Why Osmosis is important
Active
transport
Yay! You are done!

Terms:
Osmosis, diffusion, water concentration, concentration gradient, solute, solvent, isotonic, hypotonic, hypertonic, active transport

Reading material:
Main Textbook – pp 37-41