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Questions tagged [osmosis]

The process by which a solvent, especially water, tends to flow towards areas of higher solute concentration.

62 questions
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Why do we have wrinkly fingers after swimming?

I found an explanation for my question here http://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/5ws-and-h/why-do-we-have-wrinkly-fingers-after-swimming/, which suggests that water washes out sebum (special oil, which covers our skin) and water gets into outer…
Sleepy Hollow
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Why does a high osmotic pressure pull water in, yet a high hydrostatic pressure pushes water out?

When I normally think of high pressure, I think of it as pushing something away from the zone of high pressure. Yet for a high osmotic pressure, water is pulled IN to this high osmotic pressure region. Why is this the case?
K-Feldspar
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Can saltwater fishes survive in sugar solution?

I know saltwater fishes can't survive in freshwater because of osmosis that water would rush into the body of fishes. How about sugar solution? Does sugar solution provide similar conditions as salt water for saltwater fishes?
Gstestso
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Why does blood come out of leach when salt is put on it?

I know osmosis is the reason for the water to come out of cells - When you sprinkle salt over a leech, it creates concentration gradient and forces the water out of the cells. But why does a lot of blood come out too ?
AgentS
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2 answers

Osmotic Pressure and Enzyme Activity

Is it true that in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, the rate of reaction does not vary with varying osmotic pressure? Instead of just a true or false answer, why does it, or why does it not vary with osmotic pressure?
Ponderer
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While preparing Jam we use sugar.Why? (can you elaborate in science language)

Actually I was trying to find out the basic necessity of adding sugar in preparing jam.
Rohan Agrawal
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"Imperviate" is it a word what can be substituted?

Sentence: The aquaporins allow water to pass through the membrane and imperviate any solute molecules from diffusing across. I'm looking for a word that pretty much is the opposite of perviate or to…
Kobir Ahmed
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Is osmosis diffusion of water?

My textbook says this: Osmosis is the diffusion of water. Wikipedia says this: The diffusion model of osmosis is rendered untenable by the fact that osmosis can drive water across a membrane toward a higher concentration of water. It's my…
mpnm
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How does imbibition and turgor pressure generate much force?

Both imbibition and turgor pressure together create a large force in plants such as force required to burst the seed coat open?
Lekshmy Kanth GS
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Osmosis- basic questions

Hi there, For the first picture: can someone please explain in simple terms (I started learning biology a few days ago), why the answer to this osmosis question is no? For the second picture: The answer is left because "the tension of the balloon…
Felicity
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Water potential problem

$$ \begin{align*} \text{Left cell} \qquad& \text{Right cell} \\ \Psi_w=\pu{-1400 kPa} \qquad& \Psi_w=\pu{-600kPa} \\ \Psi_p=\pu{600 kPa} \qquad& \Psi_p=\pu{800kPa} \\ \Psi_s=\pu{-2000 kPa} \qquad& \Psi_s=\pu{-1400kPa} \\ \end{align*} $$ This is the…
Spluesh
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Transpiration and Water Uptake

I know that water moves into the root hair cells from the soil via Osmosis down the water potential gradient and then this water travels through diffusion and osmosis through the symplast pathway reaching the base of the xylem vessels. But there…
Andy2000
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Why does water flow from low to high concentration? Shouldn't it be the reverse?

So my understanding of water flow is as follows: Basically, water moves about randomly because it has thermal energy. It will occasionally hit other water molecules and "bounce" back. As such, in areas of high pressure, water bumps into other water…
Robotic_Cow
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Question about osmosis

The concentration of water outside potatoes B and C is more than the concentration of water inside the potatoes. So water will flow inside the potato. Now, since the concentration of water in the hollowed portions is less, water will move inside…
Ali
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