D2.3: Water Potential

Solution

A homogenous mixture of a solvent and a solute.

Solvation

The technical term for dissolving; describes how the process of dissolving occurs.

Immiscible

Describes substances that do not form a homogeneous mixture when mixed.

Heterogenous

Describes a mixture where the components are not smoothly proportioned.

Hypertonic solution

A solution with a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Isotonic solution

A solution that has the same concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Hypotonic solution

A solution with a lower concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Osmosis

The passive movement of water molecules from a hypotonic solution to a hypertonic solution through a partially permeable membrane.

Crenation

The process where animal cells shrink due to water loss in a hypertonic solution.

Cytolysis

The bursting of an animal cell when it swells in a hypotonic solution.

Plasmolysis

The process where a plant cell's plasma membrane detaches from the cell wall due to water loss in a hypertonic solution.

Turgor pressure

The pressure exerted by the vacuole of a plant cell against the cell wall.

Osmoregulation

The maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the fluids of an organism by controlling water and salt concentrations.

Water potential

The potential energy of water per unit volume relative to pure water.

Pressure potential

The turgor pressure exerted by a cell wall on water in a cell.

Solute potential

The potential of water to move in response to a solute concentration.

Dynamic equilibrium

A state in which there is no net change of water due to balanced movement in and out of the cell.

Flaccid

Describes a plant cell that is limp due to loss of turgor pressure.