Explain the process of osmosis through an example
Explain the process of osmosis through an example
Osmosis is the flow of water from down its concentration gradient, across a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is an example of diffusion, which is when molecules tend to distribute themselves evenly in space.
Example - You can soak a large number of things in water to watch osmosis take place before your eyes. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are great examples. The water isn’t simply flowing into empty spaces inside the fruit. It is passing through the cell walls and re-hydrating the fruit or vegetable. Something such as a raisin will have a very, very high concentration of sugars and water (do not confuse concentration with quantity; the raisin has little water, but it is highly concentrated). Thus, the water flows from a point of low concentration (the cup or bowl of water) to one of high concentration (the raisin). In this way, equilibrium is achieved.
Another good example would be the way water rushes into a sponge when a dry sponge is placed in a pan of water. Water fills the empty spaces of the sponge until the concentration in and out of the sponge is normalized.
Osmosis is the flow of water from down its concentration gradient, across a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is an example of diffusion, which is when molecules tend to distribute themselves evenly in space.
Example - You can soak a large number of things in water to watch osmosis take place before your eyes. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are great examples. The water isn’t simply flowing into empty spaces inside the fruit. It is passing through the cell walls and re-hydrating the fruit or vegetable. Something such as a raisin will have a very, very high concentration of sugars and water (do not confuse concentration with quantity; the raisin has little water, but it is highly concentrated). Thus, the water flows from a point of low concentration (the cup or bowl of water) to one of high concentration (the raisin). In this way, equilibrium is achieved.
Another good example would be the way water rushes into a sponge when a dry sponge is placed in a pan of water. Water fills the empty spaces of the sponge until the concentration in and out of the sponge is normalized.
