osmosis Flashcards
what is osmosis?
the movement of water from a high concetration to an area of low concentration across a partially permeable membrane.
is osmosis a type of diffusion?
yes, osmosis is a special case of disffusion.
what is HYPERTONIC?
a solution that contains more dissolved particles e.g. salt than is found in blood and normal cells.
for example: hypertonic solutions are used for soaking wounds.
what is HYPOTONIC?
a solution outside of a cell is called hypotonic if it has a lower concentration of solutes
due to osmotic pressure, water diffuses into the cell, and the cell appears turgid or bloated.
what is ISOTONIC?
a solution that has the same concentration as cells and blood.
what happens to a plant cell when it takes on lots of water?
the cell stiffens and becomes turgid.
what happnes to an animal cell when it takes on lots of water?
the cells can burst because they have no cell wall.
what happens if plant cells lose water?
they become plasmolysed - the vacuole pulls away from the cell membrane. but this does not shrink the overall cell.
