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Cell structure and transport 29th January 2022

Osmosis

Keywords
 Dilution
 Concentration
 Osmosis
 Solute
 Isotonic
 Hypertonic
 Hypotonic
 Solution
 Partially permeable membrane
 Diffusion
Difference between osmosis & diffusion
V1
Membranes that let only some types of particles through are called “partially permeable
membrane”. Partially permeable membranes let water move across them. Osmosis is a
special type of diffusion as water moves from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution
through a partially permeable membrane. Dilute solution of sugar has a high concentration
of water and a low concentration of sugar. Concentrated solution of sugar has a low
concentration of water and a high concentration of sugar
The concentration of solutions outside your cells may differ to the concentrations inside
them. Concentration of solutes in the solution is SAME as internal concentration = Isotonic /
Concentration of solutes in the solution is HIGHER than internal concentration =
Hypertonic / Concentration of solutes in the solution is LOWER than internal concentration =
Hypotonic
V2
Partially permeable membranes are membranes that only let certain particles through and
they let water move across. Osmosis is a type of diffusion as water moves from a dilute
solution to a concentrated solution through a partially permeable membrane. A dilute
solution of sugar has a high concentration of water and a low concentration of sugar. A
concentrated solution of sugar has a low concentration of water and a high concentration of
sugar. The concentration of solutions outside your cells may differ to the concentration
inside them:

 Concentration of solutes in the solution is SAME as inside the cell = ISOTONIC

 Concentration of solutes in the solution is HIGHER than inside the cell = HYPERTONIC
 Concentration of solutes in the solution is LOWER than inside the cell = HYPOTONIC
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Osmosis in animals
V1
When cells use water in chemical reactions makes the cytoplasm more
concentrated and the fluid becomes hypotonic and water moves in by
osmosis. When cells make water in chemical reactions, it makes the
cytoplasm more dilute, the fluid becomes hypertonic and water leaves
the cell by osmosis. Animal cells can be damaged and become
unusable for example, if the solution outside the cell becomes more
dilute than what’s inside the cells, water will move in by osmosis but
the cell will swell and burst. Another example is if a cytoplasm
becomes too concentrated because the solution outside the cell
becomes more concentrated than what’s inside the cells, the cell will
shrivel.

Questions
1a. Osmosis is when water moves from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution through
a partially permeable membrane whereas in diffusion, particles spread out and move
around and bump into each other.
b. When a cell uses water in chemical reactions while the cytoplasm is too concentrated,
water moves into the cell. When a cell makes water while the cytoplasm is too dilute, water
moves out of the cell.
2a. i. An isotonic solution is when the concentration of solutes in the solution is the same
concentration inside the cell.
ii. A hypotonic solution is when the concentration of solutes in the solution is lower than
concentration inside the cell.
iii. A hypertonic solution is when the concentration of solutes in the solution is higher
concentration inside the cell.
b. It is so important for cells of the human body to keep the concentration as constant as
possible because if the concentration outside the cells is more dilute than what’s inside the
cells, the cells will swell and burst after water moves in. If the concentration outside the
cells is more than the concentration of what’s inside the cells, the cell will shrivel after water
leaves. They need to be constant otherwise they will become damaged and unusable.
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3. Water moves into the Amoeba from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution through
a partially permeable membrane but since the water is used for chemical reactions, the
cytoplasm becomes more concentrated than fresh water so the vacuole will swell and burst.
When the vacuole burst, it forms another one to maintain the concentration before the cell
becomes damaged.