The Process of Osmosis and its Importance to Living Organisms. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane that does not allow dissolved solids (solutes) to pass. Osmosis refers only to diffusion of water and the direction of movement is from the area of higher concentration to the area of lower concentration. This migration of water from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration is spontaneous and although water molecules move in both directions
Premium Water Osmosis
The process of osmosis and its importance to living organisms Osmosis is the process by which there is a net movement of water through a semi permeable membrane from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential. Within a cell‚ osmosis has the following effect. If the water potential of the cell is lower than that around the cell water will move across a concentration gradient into the cell. If this is the case‚ the increase in water in the cell‚ may cause the cell to swell
Premium Cell wall Osmosis Cell
Process of Diffusion and its importance in living organisms Diffusion is the movement of molecules or ions down a concentration gradient i.e. from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. For a diffusion system to be efficient‚ it should have a large surface area so that high amount of substances can be exchanged at a time. It should also have a thin membrane and a continuous supply of substances‚ as a thin membrane means that the diffusion pathway would be short‚ and the continuous
Free Carbon dioxide Photosynthesis Oxygen
Osmosis is the selective diffusion of water and other molecules across membranes‚ which in the case of living organisms‚ the solvent (water) would have net movement across a selective permeable membrane. Osmosis only occurs when a membrane such as that of a cell is permeable to water molecules but not to specific solutes (Tortora & Derrickson 2014). Certain simple molecules such as oxygen‚ water and carbon dioxide can travel across the cell membrane by osmosis‚ a passive process similar to other
Premium Osmosis Diffusion Concentration
Water has importance inside cells and externally. This may be because it has interesting chemical and physical properties; it can be found naturally in all three of its states. However its molecules are bonded together by hydrogen bonds‚ this raises its melting and boiling points‚ i.e. its boiling point would be -120¢ªC rather than 100¢ªC. Also because it contains slightly negatively charged oxygen atoms and slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms making it polar. <br> <br>Water has been called
Premium Cell wall Oxygen Cell
The importance of carbohydrates in living organisms Carbohydrates contain carbon‚ hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio of 1.2.1.. There are many different types of carbohydrate‚ all of which are useful to living organisms. The most important carbohydrate is probable glucose. Glucose is a monosaccharide and is the monomer unit which makes up more complex polysaccharides. Two glucose molecules can be joined in a condensation reaction‚ whereby water is removed‚ for example to produce maltose‚ a disaccharide
Premium Glucose Starch Polysaccharide
Effect of ions on living organisms (24 marks) An ion is a charged atom or molecule. This is because it does not have an equal amount of protons and electrons‚ therefore giving the atom an overall charge. An example of an ion is ‚ this is sodium and the plus sign represents an overall positive charge. Ions are very important to living organisms as they are essential for life‚ they play an important role within the cell allowing mechanisms within the living organisms such as respiration‚ to take
Premium Electron Atom Ion
The Biological Importance of Water In Living Organisms Water is the most important molecule in cells‚ the whole organisms and on earth‚ this is due to it’s unique physical and chemical properties. ” A water molecule‚ because of its shape‚ is a polar molecule. That is‚ it has one side that is positively charged and one side that is negatively charged”(1). A water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom and the bonds between these atoms are single covalent bonds. Fig 1. The
Free Atom Electron Electric charge
Discussion: Osmosis is a passive process by which water molecules move through a partially permeable membrane from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration‚ creating an equal amount of molecules from both regions on each side of the membrane. This process is the result of a downhill energy system known as water potential. Water potential is the potential energy of water (per unit volume) that allows it to move from one area to another by osmosis. This system causes the water
Premium Cell Osmosis Cell wall
CH 12 TRANSPORT IN LIVING ORGANISMS EXERCISE 1. FILL IN THE BLANKS (i) The principal physiological requirement of all organisms is the maintenance of …………………… (ii) The type of diffusion against the concentration gradient (up hill movement) involving the expenditure of energy is called…………………. (iii) The cell walls of the plants cells keep the……………within limit. (iv) The content of the vacuole of plant cell is called……………. (v) The internal pressure exerted on the cell wall by the
Premium Blood Blood type