i just answered a hw question that i was a little confused on. i answered it but am not fully sure if it's correct. so can you take a look at check if my answer is correct and if it's not, then a explaintion would be helpful.
Would you expect water molecules to move faster when there is a HIGH concentration gradient or a LOW concentration gradient?
Water molecules would move faster when there is a high concentration gradient because the pressure for the molecules in the high concentration to reach equilibrium increases since there are more molecules there than in the low concentration. So as the molecules move down the concentration gradient faster to equalize the concentration on both sides due to the increased pressure, the rate of diffusion increases.
Osmosis is the process by which water molecules pass from a solution with a lower concentration (more water) over a semipermeable membrane into a solution with a higher concentration (less water) (a lower concentration of water). Water enters and leaves cells through a process called osmosis.
Immersing a cell in a hypertonic solution causes the cytosol to lose water until both the solution and the cytosol are isotonic.
When placed in a hypotonic solution, cells will take in enough water via their membranes to bring the internal cytosol concentration up to the same level as the exterior solution.
hemolyzes and expands when exposed to a hypotonic solution (bursts). When exposed to a hypertonic solution, a red blood cell will dehydrate and crenate (shrivel). The ideal condition for animal cells is an isotonic medium, in which the amount of water going in and out of the cell is constant.
Diffusion
transfer of tiny molecules or ions across a cell membrane that does not require any active effort from the cell. The three basic forms of passive transport are diffusion (sometimes known as simple diffusion), osmosis, and assisted diffusion. Transport proteins, in other words, are not involved in passive processes such as diffusion or osmosis.Proteins are required for proper diffusion facilitation.
Diffusion is the process through which molecules travel from a highly concentrated to a less concentrated area. Diffusion is a form of intracellular transport that involves the passage of tiny molecules across the cell membrane. The concentration gradient is the relative difference in molecule densities between the two regions. Diffusion is brought about by the molecules' random motion, which is powered by their kinetic energy. In simple diffusion, no transport protein is required for this to take place. Due to their random mobility, molecules tend to migrate from high-to low-density regions.
Once the concentration gradient is gone, diffusion will stop. Diffusion is often referred to as "solute transport down the concentration gradient" since it transfers substances from high to low concentration regions. The result is a state of equilibrium, in which the concentration of molecules on either side of the membrane is equal. Even in a state of equilibrium, molecular motion continues. When things are balanced, there is equal movement in both directions.
Your cells have a limit on what can enter them. The plasma membrane surrounding each of your cells serves as a barrier to anything that can cause harm to the cell.
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