LABORATORY ACTIVITY 2: OSMOSIS AND DIFFUSION
1.Differentiate osmosis and diffusion.
Diffusion can occur in any mixture, including one that includes a semipermeable membrane,
while osmosis always occurs across a semipermeable membrane. When people discuss osmosis in
biology, it always refers to the movement of water. In chemistry, it's possible for other solvents to be
involved. In biology, this is a difference between the two processes.
One big difference between osmosis and diffusion is that both solvent and solute particles are
free to move in diffusion, but when we talk about osmosis, only the solvent molecules (water molecules)
cross the membrane. This can be confusing to understand because while the solvent particles are
moving from higher to lower solvent concentration across the membrane, they are moving from lower
to higher solute concentration (from a more dilute solution to a region of more concentrated solution).
This occurs naturally because the system seeks balance or equilibrium. If the solute particles
can't cross a barrier, the only way to equalize concentration on both sides of the membrane is for the
solvent particles to move in. You can consider osmosis to be a special case of diffusion in which diffusion
occurs across a semipermeable membrane and only the water or other solvent moves.
In diffusion, particles move from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration
until equilibrium is reached. In osmosis, a semipermeable membrane is present, so only the solvent
molecules are free to move to equalize concentration.
Diffusion Versus Osmosis
Diffusion Osmosis
Any type of substance moves from an area Only water or another solvent moves from a region
of highest energy or concentration to a of high energy or concentration to a region of lower
region of lowest energy or concentration. energy or concentration.
Diffusion can occur in any medium, whether Osmosis occurs only in a liquid medium.
it is liquid, solid, or gas.
Diffusion does not require a semipermeable Osmosis requires a semipermeable membrane.
membrane.
The concentration of the diffusion substance The concentration of the solvent does not become
equalizes to fill the available space. equal on both sides of the membrane.
Hydrostatic pressure and turgor pressure do Hydrostatic pressure and turgor pressure oppose
not normally apply to diffusion. osmosis.
Diffusion does not depend on solute Osmosis depends on solute potential.
potential, pressure potential, or water
potential.
Diffusion mainly depends on the presence of Osmosis mainly depends on the number of solute
other particles. particles dissolved in the solvent.
Diffusion is a passive process. Osmosis is a passive process.
The movement in diffusion is to equalize The movement in osmosis seeks to equalize solvent
concentration (energy) throughout the concentration, although it does not achieve this.
system.
2. What is the relationship between tonicity and osmosis?
Osmosis is net movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower
solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. Tonicity is the ability of an extracellular
solution to make water move into or out of a cell by osmosis.
There are three types of extracellular solution. First is a hypotonic solution. It has lower
concentration of solutes and a higher concentration of water than cytoplasm of the cell. Thus, the
solution has less tone or osmotic pressure than the cell. Water moves by osmosis into the cell, causing it
to swell. If the cell swells enough, it can rupture, a process called lysis
The second type is isotonic solution. The concentrations of various solutes and water move into
and out of the cell at the same rate, there is no net water movement. The cell therefore neither shrinks
or swells
The third type is Hypertonic solution. The solution usually has a higher concentration of solutes
and a lower concentration of water than cytoplasm of the cell. Water moves by osmosis from the cell
into hypertonic solution resulting in cell shrinkage or crenation.
3. What is the difference between an active diffusion and a passive diffusion?
Active diffusion refers to the movement of molecules or ions from an area of lower
concentration to a higher concentration with the assistant of carrier proteins in the cell membrane,
utilizing cellular energy. Ions, large proteins, complex sugars as well as cells are transported by active
diffusion. Cells accumulate glucose, amino acids, and ions by means of active diffusion. Active diffusion
allows molecules to pass the cell membrane, disrupting the equilibrium established by the diffusion.
Primary active diffusion and secondary active diffusion are the two types of active diffusion mechanisms
used by cells.
Passive diffusion refers to the movement of ions or molecules across the cell membrane through
a concentration gradient without utilizing the cellular energy. Therefore, passive diffusion uses the
natural entropy of the molecules to pass through the cell membrane. Water soluble molecules like small
monosaccharides, lipids, sex hormones, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water are transported by passive
diffusion. A dynamic equilibrium of water, nutrients, gasses, and wastes is maintained by passive
diffusion between cytosol and extracellular environment. The movement of molecules occurs until their
concentration becomes equal on both sides. The four main types of passive diffusion are osmosis, simple
diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and filtration.
Active diffusion and passive diffusion are the two types of membrane transport mechanisms
used by cells. Both processes occur through the cell membrane. Cell membrane serves as a selectively
permeable barrier, only allowing small, uncharged molecules to pass through the cell membrane freely.
Large molecules, as well as charged ions, are passed through the cell membrane through active
diffusion. Small, uncharged molecules pass through the passive diffusion. Since active diffusion occurs
against the concentration gradient, it uses cellular energy in the form of ATP or electrochemical gradient
but passive diffusion occurs through a concentration gradient and does not require cellular energy for
the transport of molecules. The main difference between active and passive diffusion is the type of
molecules pass and the utilization of cellular energy by each process.
4. List at least 3 examples in which a situation shows diffusion.
Diffusion in Nature
Specifically, leaves at night. During the day, plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out
oxygen through osmosis, which opens and closes stomata, the small holes in the leaf’s surface. At night,
however, the stomata simply remain open and CO2 enters the plant through diffusion.
Diffusion in Daily Life
When perfume (or air freshener, cigarette smoke, or just about any other strongly scented
substance) is produced in one part of a room, it spreads to the rest through diffusion. There are fewer of
the scent-producing chemicals in the further parts of the room, so the molecules naturally spread out.
Diffusion in the Human Body
It’s hard to get excited about kidneys, but you really do need the things. Kidneys filter dangerous
chemicals from your bloodstream through microscopic tubes called nephrons. Nephrons separate blood
from waste chemicals and toxins, then reabsorb the water and nutrients in the blood through diffusion.
The rest goes through the bladder and out.
5. List at least 3 examples in which a situation shows osmosis.
Osmosis in Plants
Plants depend on osmosis to move water from their roots to their leaves. The further toward
the edge or the top of the plant, the greater the solute concentration, which creates a difference in
osmotic pressure. This is known as osmotic potential, which draws water upward. In addition, osmosis
protects leaves against losing water through evaporation.
Soaking resins or dry fruits in water
When we soak resins in water they swell up and this is all that happens due to osmosis. Water
travels from high concentration to low concentration and keeps moving by osmosis until the equilibrium
is reached, that is when the concentration of both solutions is the same.
Saves Eyes from Dry Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses consist of semipermeable materials. If you wear contacts after storing them
in sterile saline solution, the concentration of the saline in the contacts matches the salt content in the
natural fluid that moistens your eyes; the contacts stay moist, soft and comfortable. If you store
contacts in distilled water, the salt concentration is higher in the eye fluid and water flows out of the
contacts; slowly drying them out.
