OSMOSIS

Examples in Real life

 Lesson Objectives:

• Describe and explain the processes of simple diffusion, facilitated

diffusion, osmosis, active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis.

• Investigate the effects of immersing plant tissues in solutions of

different water potentials, using the results to estimate the water
potential of the tissues.

• Explain the movement of water between cells and solutions in terms

of water potential and explain the different effects of the movement
of water on plant cells and animal cells. (Knowledge of solute
potential and pressure potential is not expected).
 Osmosis is a form of Passive Transport
- Facilitated Diffusion via channel proteins called AQUAPORINS
Aquaporins increase the
permeability of the cell surface
membrane to water

Aquaporins are found in animal and

plant cells

e.g. more aquaporins would be

inserted in the cells lining the
collecting duct in kidney that
absorb more water as needed
 Cell Membrane Transport:
OSMOSIS
In Beaker 1: Same Volume
A – lower solute concentration
= higher water potential

B –higher solute concentration

= lower water potential
A B A B

In Beaker 2: volume changed

water molecules moved from A
to B, from higher water
partially permeable membrane potential to lower water
potential.
• Water Potential is the tendency of water to move from one
solution to another (from a higher to a lower water potential)
 Osmosis
• the net movement of water across a partially permeable
membrane from a region of higher water potential to a
region of lower water potential.

High Y Net movement in osmosis

lower Y
 CONCEPT SELF-CHECK

1. Answer the check-up questions on your notebook. (10 minutes)

2. Mark your own paper during post check-up discussions
 CONCEPT SELF-CHECK: TRUE / FALSE
True 1. Small polar molecules can passively diffuse through the phospholipid bilayer.
True 2. Ions can only be transported by way of facilitated diffusion.
False 3.The effect of concentration gradient is inversely proportional to the rate of diffusion.
False 4.SA/V ratio increases the rate of simple diffusion but not facilitated diffusion.
False 5.All channel proteins can transport only one type of molecule.
False 6.The longer the time taken for the agar cubes to decolourise, the faster the rate of
diffusion.
True 7. In order to pass through the phospholipid bilayer, substances must be lipid-soluble,
non-polar and hydrophobic.
 Check-up Questions
1
 Check-up Questions
2 Which process is the movement of molecules that are too large to diffuse in
through the phospholipid bilayer?
 Check-up Questions

3 Which statement defines passive transport?

 Check-up Questions
4 The diagram shows three routes through which substances can pass across a cell membrane.

Which correctly shows the routes for vitamin D, which is fat soluble, and vitamin C, which is
water soluble?
 Check-up Questions

5 Which statements are not correct about the transport of water molecules?

1 passively diffuses through the phospholipid bilayer

2 uses carrier proteins to cross the cell surface membrane
3 moves from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration
4 ATP is not required

A. 1 and 2 B. 2 and 3 C. 3 and 4 D. 1 and 4

 Check-up Questions
6 Which graph shows that an equilibrium has been reached when a molecule moves across the
cell surface membrane?

A. Concentration B. Concentration
of molecule / of molecule /
arbitrary units arbitrary units

Diffusion

C. D.
 WATER POTENTIAL (Y)
• The measure of the tendency of water to move from one solution to another (from a higher to a lower
water potential)
Pure water has the highest water potential = Zero (0)

As we add solutes:
- the ability of water to Higher solute Lower solute
move away is reduced concentration concentration
- Y has been lowered Y = lower / Y = higher /
more negative less negative
- Y becomes more
NEGATIVE

Hypertonic Hypotonic
solution solution
How solutes reduce Y
 lower Y PURE water: Highest Y Lowest Y
is less negative is zero (0) is more negative

solute

Water molecule

Between A and B Between B and C

net water movement net water movement What is the net

osmosis between
A and C?
 In which direction will net osmosis take place?

Hypertonic : higher solute conc.

= lower (more negative) Y

Y cell Ysolution
net osmosis
= -150 kPa
= -230 kPa

Hypotonic : lower solute conc. Water Potential is expressed

= higher (less negative) Y in kilopascals (kPa)
 In which direction will net osmosis take place?

Cell and extracellular fluid are Isotonic

= the same Y

Y cell YExtracellular fluid

= -100 kPa Net movement = zero = -100 kPa
 Practice:
In which direction will net osmosis take place?

Cell A Cell B
Y = -100 kPa Y = -200 kPa
net osmosis

Cell C
What will happen to Cells Y = -150 kPa
Which
Arrangecell
thehas
cells
thebased
most
A, B and C when placed in
concentrated
on increasing solute
water in
a beaker of distilled
the
potential.
cytoplasm?
water?
 Individual Practice
Draw an arrow to show the direction of the (net) movement of water.

v
 Investigate the effects of immersing plant tissues in solutions of
different water potentials.

1. Watch Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTDATl
aBV-o

2. Answer the questions in the Activity Sheet

(apply concept learned)

3. Revise using the answer key.

Investigate the effects of immersing plant tissues in
solutions of different water potentials.
 INDIVIDUAL REVISION

The following slides are applications

of osmosis involving animal and
plant cells
 Osmosis in Red Blood Cells
How are RBCs affected by different concentrations of
solutions (blood plasma)?
 Isotonic solutions have the same water
potential as the cytoplasm of the cell
external solution = i.e. blood plasma

RBC cytoplasm Plasma

Red blood cells

Partially permeable cell

membrane

NET osmosis is zero Cells do not change shape

Isotonic solutions have the
same water potential as
the cytoplasm of the cell.

Example:
NSS (0.9% NaCl) is an
isotonic IV fluid used to
rehydrate patients.
Hypotonic solutions have a higher water
potential than the cytoplasm of the cell

Lower Y Higher Y

NET osmosis = INTO the cell

Can cause animal cells to burst

Hypertonic solutions have a lower water
potential than the cytoplasm of the cell

external solution
Higher Y Lower Y

blood cell

NET osmosis = water move OUT of the cell Cells shrink / shrivel
 Osmosis in animal cells

Application of Concepts to Life Situations

Osmosis in Animal Cells

Application : Why putting salt on snails and slugs kill them?

 Osmosis in Plant Cells
Cells placed in:
1. Hypertonic solution 2. Isotonic solution 3. Hypotonic solution
✓ Notice the
size of the
large
vacuole
✓ Describe
the net
movement
of water

Lower water potential water potential outside the higher water potential
outside the cell than inside cell is the same as inside outside the cell than inside

Plasmolysis – a process when protoplast Plant cell does not burst

shrinks away from the cell wall because they have cell wall
 Osmosis in Plant Cells
Hypertonic solution Isotonic solution Hypotonic solution
osmosis osmosis osmosis Cell wall exerts an
inward pressure
(pressure potential)
that raises the Y
inside the cell until Y
becomes equal inside
and outside.

Full plasmolysis Incipient plasmolysis

Turgor
Causes a plant to wilt
Pressure Potential in Plant Cells
Pressure Potential increases the water potential of a solution