Which process moves water across a semipermeable membrane from high to low water potential?

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Multiple Choice

Which process moves water across a semipermeable membrane from high to low water potential?

Osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential. The membrane allows water to pass but restricts many solutes, so water flows toward the side with more solute (lower water potential) to dilute it and balance concentrations. This is a passive process, not requiring energy, driven by the gradient in water potential created by differences in solute concentration and pressure. Water potential ties into how cells respond: in a solution with more solute outside, water leaves the cell and it shrinks; in a dilute outside solution, water enters and the cell swells. Diffusion involves the net movement of solute particles down their concentration gradient and isn’t specifically about water crossing a membrane. Active transport uses energy to move substances against their gradient. Filtration moves water and solutes together due to a pressure difference, not because of water potential differences across the membrane.

Osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential. The membrane allows water to pass but restricts many solutes, so water flows toward the side with more solute (lower water potential) to dilute it and balance concentrations. This is a passive process, not requiring energy, driven by the gradient in water potential created by differences in solute concentration and pressure.

Water potential ties into how cells respond: in a solution with more solute outside, water leaves the cell and it shrinks; in a dilute outside solution, water enters and the cell swells. Diffusion involves the net movement of solute particles down their concentration gradient and isn’t specifically about water crossing a membrane. Active transport uses energy to move substances against their gradient. Filtration moves water and solutes together due to a pressure difference, not because of water potential differences across the membrane.

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