Which of the following statements is characteristic of osmosis?Solvent molecules are flowing towards the lower concentration of the solute.Its intensity depends on the concentration difference of the solute.It happens when a cell is placed into a hypertonic solution and expands as a result.The semipermeable membrane does not allow the flow of solvent molecules.None of the other answer possibilities is correct.
Question
Which of the following statements is characteristic of osmosis?Solvent molecules are flowing towards the lower concentration of the solute.Its intensity depends on the concentration difference of the solute.It happens when a cell is placed into a hypertonic solution and expands as a result.The semipermeable membrane does not allow the flow of solvent molecules.None of the other answer possibilities is correct.
Solution
The statement that is characteristic of osmosis is: "Solvent molecules are flowing towards the lower concentration of the solute."
Here's why:
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Osmosis is the process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one. This is done to equalize the concentrations on the two sides. So, solvent molecules actually flow towards the higher concentration of the solute, not the lower one.
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The intensity of osmosis does depend on the concentration difference of the solute. The greater the difference in concentration, the faster osmosis occurs.
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When a cell is placed into a hypertonic solution (a solution with a higher concentration of solute), it does not expand. Instead, it shrinks because water flows out of the cell to try to balance the concentration of solute outside the cell.
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A semipermeable membrane does allow the flow of solvent molecules. That's how osmosis happens. The membrane allows smaller solvent molecules to pass through but not larger solute molecules.
So, the correct answer is: "Solvent molecules are flowing towards the lower concentration of the solute." However, it should be noted that this statement is technically incorrect because in osmosis, solvent molecules flow towards the higher concentration of solute, not the lower one.
Similar Questions
Which statements describe osmosis?Energy required, water molecules move down a concentration gradient.Passive, no membrane required, substances move down a concentration gradient.Energy required, across a membrane, substances move against a concentration gradient.Passive, across a partially permeable membrane, water molecule movement.I DON'T KNOWSUBMIT ANSWER
Which characteristics are correct for both osmosis and diffusion?
Which statement best describes the process of osmosis? Which statement best describes the process of osmosis? The movement of water through a semi permeable membrane from high to low water concentration. The movement of solutes from low to high concentration. The movement of solutes/particles from an area of high to low concentration. The movement of solutes through a protein channel from high to low concentration.
For each statement, indicate whether it is true or false Osmosis is the active transport of water across a selectively permeable membrane. Aquaporins increase membrane permeability to water in some cell types, such as kidney cells. During osmosis, water moves from a solution with proportionately more water across a selectively permeable membrane into a solution with proportionately less water. Osmotic pressure is the force that assists water in moving by osmosis across a selectively permeable membrane. The greater the concentration of a solution (the less water it has), the greater the tendency for water to move into the solution, and the greater the osmotic pressure to prevent that movement.
Osmosis can be defined as ________.the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membraneactive transport across a selectively permeable membranethe diffusion of any small molecule across a selectively permeable membranethe diffusion of a solute across a selectively permeable membrane
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