Question

Can osmosis be regarded as diffusion? Give reasons.

Answer 1

Diffusion:

Diffusion is defined as the main means of transport of substances or molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

Osmosis:

Osmosis is a type of diffusion of water molecules across a semipermeable membrane from a region of high water concentration to a region of low water concentration.

Reasons:

1. Diffusion and osmosis help in the transport of molecules along the concentration gradient (higher concentration region to a lower concentration region).
2. Both are a type of passive transport. It means both don’t require any form of energy to transport molecules.
3. Therefore, osmosis can be regarded as a special type of diffusion involving a semipermeable membrane and transporting only solvent molecules.