• All cells are surrounded by a cell membrane which is?partially permeable
• Water can move in and out of cells by?osmosis
• Osmosis is the?diffusion of water molecules?from a dilute solution (high concentration of water) to a more concentrated solution (low concentration of water) across a partially permeable membrane
• In doing this, water is moving down its concentration gradient
• The cell membrane is partially permeable which means it allows small molecules (like water) through but not larger molecules (like solute molecules)

Osmosis and the partially permeable membrane

• Osmosis is the?net movement of water molecules?from a region of?higher water potential?(dilute solution) to a region of?lower water potential?(concentrated solution), through a partially permeable membrane
• Water potential describes the tendency of water to move out of a solution. This term is used to avoid confusion between water concentration and concentration of a solution
  • A dilute solution has a high water potential (the right-hand side of the diagram below) and a concentrated solution has a low water potential (the left-hand side of the diagram below)

   

How osmosis works

• The?water potential?of?pure water?(without any solutes) at atmospheric pressure is?0kPa, therefore any solution that has solutes will have a water potential lower than 0kPa (it will be a?negative?value)