Definition
- Osmosis is the movement of solvent from a solution of lower solute concentration to one of higher solute concentration across a semipermeable membrane.
- A semipermeable membrane allows passage of solvent but not solute.
Mechanism of Osmosis
- Net water flux runs from the lower-solute-concentration solution to the higher-solute-concentration solution, until osmotic equilibrium is reached.
- This increases the volume of the higher-concentration compartment.
Osmosis across a semipermeable membrane, before and after equilibrium