Osmosis Flashcards
What is osmosis?
The diffusion of water molecules from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential across a partially permeable membrane to create a water potential gradient.
What substance has the greatest water potential?
Pure/distilled water
How high is water potential in cytoplasm and why?
The water potential is more negative than pure water because it contains sugars and salts.
What does a solution with high water potential have?
A lot of water molecules that are free to move.
What is a hypertonic solution?
High concentartion of solutes.
What is a hypotonic solution?
Lower concentration of solutes
What is an isotonic solution?
Same concentration of water and solute
In pure water what do cytolysis and turgid mean?
Cytolysis- when an animal cell bursts.
Turgid- swelling of the cytoplasm and vacuole which pushes against the cell wall (cell will not burst).
In a concentrated sugar solution what does crenation and plasmolysis mean?
Crenation- cell contents shrink and membrane wrinkles in animal cells.
Plasmolysis- cytoplasm and vacuole shrink/become flaccid and plasma membrane pulls away from the cell wall in plant cells/.
