Osmosis and Tonicity

These flashcards cover key terms related to osmosis and tonicity, providing definitions to aid in understanding their significance within cell biology.

Osmosis

Movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

Aquaporins (AQPs)

Specific water channels that facilitate the movement of water molecules through plasma membranes.

Hydrostatic Pressure

The pressure exerted by water pushing against a membrane.

Osmotic Pressure

The tendency of water to move into a cell by osmosis, affected by the concentration of solute particles.

Osmolarity

A measure of the total concentration of solute particles in a solution.

Isotonic Solution

A solution with the same solute concentration as that found in cells, resulting in no net movement of water.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution with a higher solute concentration than inside the cell, causing the cell to lose water and shrink.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution with a lower solute concentration than inside the cell, causing the cell to swell and potentially burst.

Tonicity

The ability of a solution to alter a cell's water volume, thereby changing the cell’s shape.

Crenate

The process of a cell losing water and shrinking when exposed to a hypertonic solution.

Lysis

The process of a cell swelling and potentially bursting when exposed to a hypotonic solution.