- COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9

TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

TOPIC 3 :
DIFFUSION
AND
OSMOSIS

Objectives :
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:

 define the term ‘diffusion’ and differentiate

concentrated / strong solutions
dilute / weak,

 explain diffusion & give examples of diffusion in everyday life 
 define and explain osmosis 
describe the idea of a semi/partially/selectively permeable
 membrane 
 work out the direction in which water molecules should move
through a semi-permeable membrane during osmosis 
 describe the effects of osmosis on animal and plant tissues 
 describe importance of osmosis in uptake of water by plants 

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

1.1 DIFFUSION

1. Define the term ‘DIFFUSION’:

Diffusion is the …………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

2. For example, we can smell the odour of durian and perfumes so particles move by
diffusion. We can smell food in the kitchen because the liquids and gas particles diffuse
through air.

3. What are molecules? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. What is meant by Concentration Gradient? ……………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 Diffusion can only take place if there is a concentration gradient.

5. Properties of Diffusion of Molecules are:

a. Molecules diffuse in random directions.
b. Gas molecules diffuse faster than liquid molecules.
c. Liquid molecules diffuse faster than solid molecules.

6. The Importances of Diffusion:

a) For gaseous exchange  Diffusion occurs during respiration and photosynthesis.

b) For the removal of waste products (e.g. urea, carbon dioxide) from the body.
c) For absorbing the digested food (e.g. glucose, amino acids from the small intestine
into the bloodstream.

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

1.2 OSMOSIS

7. Define the term ‘OSMOSIS’:

Osmosis is the …………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

8. For example, water from the soil moves into the root by osmosis.

 Diluted solution – more water

 Concentrated solution – less water

9. The CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR OSMOSIS to take place are:

a) ………………………………………………. molecules must present.

b) Must have ……………………………………………………………………..
c) Must have ……………………………………………………………………..

10. What is the difference between Osmosis and Diffusion?

Osmosis only involves movement of water molecules.

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

11. When molecules diffuse into and out of a cell, they must cross the cell membrane.
12. The cell membrane is a semi-permeable membrane that allows not all substances to
pass through the cell.

13. The Demonstration of Osmosis using a Visking Tubing:

The visking tubing represents the cell membrane. It has many tiny holes that allow only small
molecules to pass through the tubing. It separates the large sucrose molecules from small
water molecules. The water level in the capillary tube will rise because water has moved into
the visking tubing by osmosis since water concentration outside the tubing is higher than
the inside.

EXERCISES - Answer all the questions below.

a) Which part of a cell does the visking tubing represents? …………………………………………………

b) Which molecules are bigger in size ; Water molecules or Sucrose molecules?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c) Which molecules would be able to pass through the semi-permeable membrane?
Explain.
………...….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……
d) Explain what would happen to the water level in the capillary tube?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

 THE EFFECTS OF PROCESS OF OSMOSIS ON ANIMAL CELLS AND PLANT CELLS

 The process of osmosis on animal and plant cells can be carried out by placing them in:
1. DISTILLED WATER (Pure water)
2. CONCENTRATED (Strong) SUGAR SOLUTION OR SALT SOLUTION

DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPEN WHEN THE CELLS ARE

PLACED
IN DISTILLED WATER OR CONCENTRATED SALT
SOLUTION?

TYPES OF CELLS In Distilled Water In Concentrated Salt Solution

 Water moves into the red (The solution is more concentrated

ANIMAL CELLS
blood cell by osmosis. than the cytoplasm)
For examples:
Human Red (Water concentration inside the  Water moves out of the red
Blood Cells cell is lower than outside the cell) blood cell by osmosis.

 The cell swells up. (Water concentration inside the

cell is higher than outside the cell)
 and finally, the cell bursts.
(Animal cells burst because  The cell shrinks.
they do not have cell wall)  The cell wrinkles and shrivels.

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

(The solution is more concentrated

 Water moves into the cell by
PLANT CELLS
osmosis.
For examples:
 The sap vacuole and the cell
a) Potato strip, increases in size / swells up.
b) Yam strip,
 The cells become turgid.
c) Onion cell
(Plant cells do not burst
because they have a tough
and elastic cell wall)
than the cell sap)
 Water moves out of the cell
by osmosis.
(Water concentration inside the cell
is higher than outside the cell)
 The sap vacuole and the cell
decreases in size.
 The cytoplasm shrinks away
from the cell wall.

 and the cell becomes flaccid

(feel soft).

 OSMOSIS AND ABSORPTION / UPTAKE OF WATER IN PLANTS

a) Plants absorb water from the soil through the ROOT HAIR CELLS.
b) The soil water is usually less concentrated than the cell sap in the vacuole of the root
hair.
c) Water is thus drawn into the root hair by OSMOSIS.
d) Within the root, water passes from one cell to another by osmosis until it reaches the
xylem vessels.
e) The xylem vessels then transport the water to various parts of the plant by another
process.

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

 WHY OSMOSIS IS IMPORTANT IN PLANTS ?

a) Root hairs absorb water from the soil by OSMOSIS.
b) Water passes from one root cell to another root cell by OSMOSIS.
c) When water moves into the sap vacuole, it increases in size and the cell becomes
turgid. Making the plants to stand upright.

My Score:
CLASSWORK NO. _____
05

1) Which part of the structure of a root hair cell is the site of uptake of water?
A. Cell wall
B. Cell membrane
C. Vacuole
D. Cytoplasm

2) The diagram 1 shows an onion cell in pure water.

The cell is now placed in a concentrated sugar solution, and it changes

to appear as in diagram 2.

Which statement explains the change?

A. Sugar has moved into the cell.
B. Sugar has moved out of the cell
C. Water has moved into the cell.
D. Water has moved out of the cell.

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 - COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

3) The diagram shows a group of body cells surrounded by tissue fluid.

Which conditions cause the body cells to take in water?

Concentration of water Concentration of water
in the tissue fluid in the cytoplasm of body cells
A. High High
B. High Low
C. Low High
D. Low Low
4) The diagram shows apparatus used to investigate osmosis.

Which molecules will move across the partially permeable membrane

and which changes in levels will occur ?

Molecules Level 1 Level 2

A. Sugar Fall Rise
B. Water Fall Rise
C. Sugar Rise Fall
D. Water Rise Fall

5) Four identical pieces of potato are place in sucrose solutions of different

concentrations. After three hours, the mass of each potato piece is measured.
Which graph shows the results of this experiment?

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- COMBINED SCIENCE (BIOLOGY) - YEAR 9
TOPIC 3 : DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS