Osmosis

• Osmosis

  The diffusion of water from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution, through a partially permeable membrane

  
• Diffusion

  The movement of substances from a higher concentration to a lower concentration

  
• Concentration gradient

  The difference in concentration of a substance

  
• Partially permeable membrane

  A membrane which allows some substances through but not others

  
• Dilute solution

  A solution that contains low amounts of solutes such as sugar or salt, but has higher amounts of a solvent such as water

  
• Higher concentration of water

  A solution containing more water molecules in relation to another solution, can also be described as a more dilute solution in terms of solute concentration

  
• Concentrated solution

  A solution that contains high amounts of solutes such as sugar or salt, which results in lower amounts of a solvent such as water

  
• Lower concentration of water

  A solution containing fewer water molecules in relation to another solution, can also be described as a more concentrated solution in terms of solute concentration

  
• Solute


  A dissolved substance such as salt or sugar

  
• Solvent

  A solution or substance that is able to dissolve other substances

  
• Turgor

  When water has moved into plant tissue by osmosis and the vacuoles are full, the plant cell does not burst when turgid because of its cell wall

  
• Plasmolysis

  When water has moved out of plant tissue by osmosis and the vacuoles are empty

  
• Isotonic solution

  Where the solute concentration is equal inside and outside of the cell

  
• Hypertonic solution

  Where the solute concentration is higher outside of the cell than inside the cell

  
• Hypotonic solution

  Where the solute concentration is lower outside of the cell than inside the cell

  
• Animal cells in hypertonic and hypotonic solutions

  Animal cells will increase in size and burst in hypotonic solutions, animal cells will decrease in size and shrivel in hypertonic solutions

  
• Plant cells in hypertonic and hypotonic solutions

  Plant cells will increase in size and become turgid in hypotonic solutions, plant cells will decrease in size and become plasmolysed in hypertonic solutions