The movement in osmosis seeks to equalize solvent concentration, although it does not achieve this. The movement in diffusion is to equalize concentration (energy) throughout the system.
Osmosis mainly depends on the number of solute particles dissolved in the solvent. Hydrostatic pressure and turgor pressure oppose osmosis.ĭiffusion does not depend on solute potential, pressure potential, or water potential.ĭiffusion mainly depends on the presence of other particles. Hydrostatic pressure and turgor pressure do not normally apply to diffusion. Osmosis is a process of movement of solvents through a semi-permeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration. The concentration of the solvent does not become equal on both sides of the membrane. The concentration of the diffusion substance equalizes to fill the available space. Osmosis requires a semipermeable membrane. WHAT OSMOSIS IS- DEFINITION & PROCESS Osmosis is the movement of a solvent across a semipermeable membrane from a region of lower concentration. Only water or another solvent moves from a region of high energy or concentration to a region of lower energy or concentration.ĭiffusion can occur in any medium, whether it is liquid, solid, or gas.ĭiffusion does not require a semipermeable membrane. You can consider osmosis to be a special case of diffusion in which diffusion occurs across a semipermeable membrane and only the water or other solvent moves.Īny type of substance moves from an area of highest energy or concentration to a region of lowest energy or concentration. If the solute particles can't cross a barrier, the only way to equalize concentration on both sides of the membrane is for the solvent particles to move in. This occurs naturally because the system seeks balance or equilibrium.
This can be confusing because while the solvent particles are moving from higher to lower solvent concentration across the membrane, they are moving from lower to higher solute concentration, or from a more dilute solution to a region of more concentrated solution.
#PROCESSES OF OSMOSIS FREE#
One big difference between osmosis and diffusion is that both solvent and solute particles are free to move in diffusion, but in osmosis, only the solvent molecules (water molecules) cross the membrane.In biology, this is a difference between the two processes. In chemistry, it's possible for other solvents to be involved. When people discuss osmosis in biology, it always refers to the movement of water.Diffusion can occur in any mixture, including one that includes a semipermeable membrane, while osmosis always occurs across a semipermeable membrane.
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