1. Consider two aqueous solutions of different concentration separated by a semipermeable membrane.

In this situation, osmosis results in:

A. water molecules moving to the side where the solution concentration is

lower.

B. the more concentrated solution becoming even more concentrated.

C. the more dilute solution becoming even more dilute.

D. the more concentrated solution becoming more dilute.

Answer is D: The result of osmosis is that the more concentrated solution

becomes more dilute.

2. Osmosis may be defined as which of the following?

A. The diffusion of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane from

the solution with higher water concentration into the solution of lower water

concentration.

B. The movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane

from the solution of higher concentration into the solution of lower

concentration.

C. The diffusion of solute particles across a semi-permeable membrane from

the solution of higher concentration into the solution of lower

concentration.

D. The movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane

from the solution of lower concentration into the solution of higher

concentration.

Answer is D: The definition should include: “water”; movement through an SP

membrane; direction of water flow from more dilute solution into the solution

of higher concentration.

3. What is the movement of water molecules across a plasma membrane from the

side where the solution concentration is more dilute to the side where the solution is more
concentrated called?

A. osmosis
B. reverse osmosis

C. diffusion

D. hydration

Answer is A: Osmosis is the diffusion of WATER molecules through a membrane, from where there is a
higher concentration of water molecules to where 4. The movement of water molecules through a
plasma membrane from the side

where there is a higher concentration water molecules to the side where there

are fewer, is best known as:

A. diffusion

B. osmosis

C. pinocytosis

D. hydrolysis

Answer is B: osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules through a membrane,

down their concentration gradient.

5. The diffusion of water molecules across a cell membrane from the side where

the solution concentration is more dilute to the side where it is greater, is known

as which of the following?

A. osmosis

B. filtration

C. hydrolysis

D. buffer action

Answer is A: This is a definition of osmosis.

6. If a semi-permeable membrane separates two aqueous solutions with different

osmotic pressures, what will be the direction of water flow between solutions?

From:

A. higher osmotic pressure to the solution of lower osmotic pressure.

B. lower osmotic pressure to the solution of higher osmotic pressure.

C. higher concentration to the solution of lower concentration.

D. higher hydrostatic pressure to the solution of lower hydrostatic pressure.

Answer is B: lower osmotic pressure means a lower solution concentration (and

a higher concentration of water molecules). Water moves from the dilute solution into the more
concentrated one.

7. During dialysis, what moves across a semi-permeable membrane (and how)?

A. Water molecules by diffusion from the region of high solute concentration

to the region of low solute concentration.

B. Water molecules by filtration from the region of high hydrostatic pressure

to the region of low hydrostatic pressure.

C. Solutes by diffusion from the region of high solute concentration to the

region of low solute concentration.

D. Solutes by filtration from the region of low hydrostatic pressure to the

region of high hydrostatic pressure.

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Answer is C: dialysis refers to movement of solutes (not water). Choice D is

wrong as filtration refers to movement due to hydrostatic pressure difference

from the solution under higher pressure to low pressure.

8. A suitable definition of osmosis would be movement:

A. of solute particles through a plasma membrane from the side where their

concentration is greatest to the side where it is lower.

B. of water molecules through a plasma membrane from the side where their

concentration is greatest to the side where it is lower.

C. of a substance from a region where it is in high concentration to where its

concentration is lower

D. caused by a hydrostatic pressure difference.

Answer is B: osmosis refers to movement of water molecules (not other molecules), by diffusion.

9. The difference between dialysis and diffusion is that

A. dialysis involves the movement of water molecules.

B. diffusion involves movement against the concentration gradient.

C. dialysis involves passive movement through a cell membrane.

D. diffusion is caused by a hydrostatic pressure difference.

Answer is C: diffusion is passive and occurs in the direction of the concentration gradient. Diffusion can
occur within a solution or across a membrane.

Dialysis on the other hand, requires a membrane and is a term applied to solutes, not water molecules.

10. Osmosis involves the movement of:

A. water molecules through a membrane from a region of higher concentration

of water molecules to a region of lower water molecule concentration.

B. solute particles from a region of higher solution concentration to a region of

lower solution concentration.

C. water molecules from a region of lower concentration of water to a region

of higher water molecule concentration.

D. solute particles through a membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of
higher solute concentration.

Answer is A: osmosis involves water molecules (not solutes) moving down

their concentration gradient into a solution of lower concentration of water

molecules.

11. What does “osmosis” refer to?

A. the constant random motion of ions and molecules.

B. the movement of ions and molecules from regions of high concentration to

regions of low concentration.

C. the movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane.

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65

D. the movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane

from the side with higher water concentration to the side with lower water

concentration.

Answer is D: the definition must include water molecules; crossing a SP membrane; a correct direction
of movement.

12. What is the difference between filtration and diffusion?

A. Diffusion can occur through a biological membrane whereas filtration cannot.

B. Filtration can occur through a biological membrane whereas diffusion cannot.

C. Filtration is the movement of molecules caused by a pressure difference but

diffusion does not involve a difference in pressure.

D. Diffusion is the movement of molecules caused by a pressure difference but

filtration does not involve a difference in pressure.

Answer is C: filtration requires a pressure difference, diffusion does not. Both

diffusion and filtration can occur through a membrane.

13. What is the difference between osmosis and dialysis?

A. Dialysis involves the movement of solute molecules whereas osmosis refers

to water molecules.

B. Osmosis involves the movement of solute molecules whereas dialysis refers

to water molecules.

C. Osmosis involves movement of molecules across a membrane but dialysis

does not involve a membrane.

D. Dialysis involves movement of molecules across a membrane but osmosis

does not involve a membrane.

Answer is A: osmosis refers to the movement of water molecules (only) through

a membrane. Only choice A is consistent with this.

14. Which one of the following processes that describe movement of the particles

in a solution does NOT require passing through a membrane?

A. diffusion

B. filtration

C. dialysis

D. osmosis

Answer is A: While diffusion can occur through a membrane, its presence is not

required in order to define diffusion.

15. Which statement about the osmotic pressure of an aqueous solution is correct?

Osmotic pressure:
A. is an indication of the force with which pure water moves into that

solution.

B. is a measure of the tendency of water to move into the solution.

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66

C. is the drawing power of water and depends on the number of molecules in

the solution.

D. of a solution is called its osmolarity in mosmol/kg.

Answer is B: solutions with high “osmotic pressure” are concentrated solutions

and so water will diffuse into such solutions from solutions of lower concentration – a process known as
osmosis. The other answers are nonsense