Diffusion and Tonicity

These flashcards cover key concepts related to diffusion, osmosis, tonicity, Brownian movement, and pH from the lecture notes.

Brownian Movement

The random movement of particles suspended in a fluid, resulting from their collision with fast-moving atoms or molecules in the gas or liquid.

Diffusion

The process whereby molecules move from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

Osmosis

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high concentration of water to an area of low concentration.

Tonicity

The relative concentration of solutes outside the cell compared to the inside.

Isotonic Solutions

Solutions where the concentration of solutes is the same inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

Hypertonic Solutions

Solutions with a higher concentration of solutes outside the cell, causing the cell to shrink as water moves out.

Hypotonic Solutions

Solutions with a lower concentration of solutes outside the cell, leading to the swelling of the cell as water moves in.

Turgor Pressure

The pressure exerted by water inside the cell against the cell wall, important for maintaining plant structure.

Plasmolysis

The process in which cells lose water in a hypertonic solution, leading to the pulling away of the cell membrane from the cell wall.

pH

A scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution, ranging from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic), with 7 being neutral. Blood is 7.4

Plasma Membrane

Controls molecules moving in and out of the cell

Natural Diffusion

Particles are small and noncharged, large molecules cannot do this