Name: ______________________________ Class: __________

5090 BIOLOGY TOPIC 2: DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS

For plants and animal cells to stay alive, molecules must be able to move easily
(i) from one part of a cell to another
(ii) into and out of a cell
(iii) from one cell to another

There are two general types of movement of molecules i.e. passive (without requiring energy) and active
transport (requiring energy)
Movement of molecules

Passive transport Active transport

Diffusion and Osmosis

a) Define diffusion as the movement of molecules from a region of their higher concentration to a
region of their lower concentration, down a concentration gradient

Definition
Movement of molecules from a region of their higher concentration to a region of their lower
concentration, down a concentration gradient (i.e. the two regions are of different concentrations)

What is a concentration gradient?

As long as there is no obstruction, molecules will move until they are evenly distributed in both regions. This is
a state of dynamic equilibrium (= concentration gradient is zero).
Experiments to illustrate diffusion:
Diffusion of solutes A beaker contains copper sulphate and potassium iodide solutions separated by a
permeable membrane.
After some time, the copper sulphate particles on the left (higher concentration)
will diffuse to the right (lower concentration) via the permeable membrane.
Similarly, the potassium iodide particles on the right (higher concentration) will
diffuse to the left (lower concentration) via the permeable membrane. Diffusion will
stop when there are equal concentrations of copper sulphate and potassium iodide
particles on both sides of the permeable membrane.

Diffusion in solution Drop a small crystal of potassium permanganate into the water.
Observe the colour distribution over time

Diffusion of gases Place moistened red litmus paper to the inside of the glass tube.
Close both ends of the tube; one with cork and another with a pad of cotton wool
soaked in ammonia solution.
The litmus paper will gradually turn blue (ammonia is an alkali) starting with the
ones nearest to the source of ammonia. The ammonia molecules have diffused
down the tube to reach the litmus paper

The rate of movement of molecules in diffusion depends on several factors:

1. Steepness of concentration gradient
□ The bigger the concentration gradient, the faster the rate of diffusion

2. Size of molecules
□ The bigger the molecule (= more mass / heavier), the slower the rate of diffusion
 3. Temperature
□ When temperature is raised, molecules will gain kinetic energy. Hence, they will move or diffuse
faster.

4. Distance across which the molecules have to move / Thickness of a membrane

□ The bigger the distance, the slower the rate of diffusion.

5. Surface area to volume ratio.

□ The smaller the size of an object, the higher the SA : V ratio (= more exposed surface compared to
the volume inside) and hence, faster rate of diffusion.
□ The larger the organism, the less efficient it is in absorbing substances through the body surface by
diffusion – the need for transport system.

Why is diffusion important?

Nutrients, water and oxygen move into cells by diffusion.
Unwanted metabolic waste products, such as carbon dioxide and urea, are removed from the cell by diffusion
as well.

Examples of diffusion:
In animals
• Movement of oxygen from the air sacs / alveoli in lungs to the red blood cells in blood. Oxygen is
dissolved in the moisture lining the alveoli then moves through the walls of the alveoli into the blood.
• Movement of carbon dioxide from cells into tissue fluid and into the blood in capillaries, then from blood
in capillaries into the alveoli in lungs.
• Movement of soluble digested food products from lumen of small intestine (ileum) into blood capillaries
in villi

In plants
• Movement of carbon dioxide and oxygen into and out of a leaf during photosynthesis.

b) Define osmosis as the passage of water molecules from a region of their higher concentration to a
region of their lower concentration through a partially permeable membrane

Definition
From a region of: To a region of:
□ their high (water) □ their low (water) through a
Movement of
concentration concentration partially
water
□ Dilute / weak / □ Concentrated / strong / permeable
molecules
hypotonic solution hypertonic solution membrane
□ High water potential □ Low water potential
Note:
1. Two solutions having the same water potential to each other are described as isotonic solutions.
2. Heat treatment and alcohol can affect the structure of the lipids and protein molecules making up the
plasma membrane. These result in loss of its selective permeability i.e. become fully permeable.

• Water potential is the tendency of water molecules to move from one region to another.

Of any solutions, water has the highest water potential value i.e. ψ = 0.
0 Highest water potential = Water
Less negative Dilute solutions
More negative Decreasing water potential = Increasingly concentrated solution

The movement of water molecules into a cell is known as endosmosis.

The movement of water molecules out of a cell is known as exosmosis.
c) Describe the importance of water potential gradient in the uptake of water by plants and the effects
of osmosis on plant and animal tissues

OSMOSIS IN ANIMAL CELLS

Animal cell (red blood cell)

Original appearance

In water / dilute solution In concentrated solution

Final appearance

• The cytoplasm inside the cell is a fairly • Net movement of water out of the cell.
concentrated solution. • The cell will shrink and crenate (tiny
• Net movement of water into the cell; spikes appear on the cell surface
Observation/ from dilute solution to the concentrated membrane).
Explanation solution.
• The cell will swell and eventually bursts
when the strain is too much for the cell
surface membrane.

OSMOSIS IN PLANT CELLS

A typical plant cell

Original appearance

In water / dilute solution In concentrated solution

Final appearance

• Net movement of water into the cell. • Net movement of water out of the cell.
• An internal pressure builds up inside • Cell vacuole shrinks and decrease in
the cell vacuole – turgor pressure; size.
vacuoles increase in size • Since the cell wall is rigid, only the
• The pressure pushes the plasma cytoplasm and the plasma membrane
Explanation membrane against the cell wall, causing inside the cell wall are pulled as a result
the cell to become swollen. of vacuole shrinkage.
• The cell wall prevents the cell from • The cell is said to be in flaccid
bursting. condition.
• The cell is said to be in turgid condition. • The cell is also said to be undergoing
plasmolysis (lead to wilting).
Importance of osmosis in plant cells:
• Root cells have a relatively higher concentration of dissolved salt than the surrounding soil water, i.e. water
potential of the cells is lower than that of soil water. Therefore water enters the root by osmosis through the
partially permeable cell membrane of the root hairs.
• The movement of water into plant cells by osmosis builds up cellular turgor pressure. This pressure allows
soft tissues, such as leaves and young stems, to maintain their shapes and positions.
• Guard cells on leaf surfaces control the stomata size using changes in turgor.

d) Define active transport as the movement of ions into or out of a cell through the cell membrane,
from a region of their lower concentration to a region of their higher concentration against a
concentration gradient, using energy released during respiration

Definition
Movement of molecules or ions from a region of their lower concentration to a region of their higher
concentration against the concentration gradient.

The molecules diffuse against the concentration gradient from B to A

This process requires energy in the form of ATP molecules, which are produced during respiration (in
mitochondria). Also, a living membrane is required as it has proteins embedded in it acting as carrier proteins.

e) Discuss the importance of active transport as an energy-consuming process by which substances

are transported against a concentration gradient, as in ion uptake by root hairs and glucose uptake by
cells in the villi

Examples of active transport:

1. Absorption of dissolved mineral salts, such as sodium and potassium ions, by root hair cells
 2. Absorption of glucose and amino acids by cells in villi of small intestines (ileum).

SUMMARY
A table showing differences between the three processes:
Feature Diffusion Osmosis Active transport
Molecules
Any molecules Water molecules only Molecules or ions
involved
Against a concentration
Direction Down a concentration gradient
gradient

Energy
Does not require energy Requires energy (ATP)
requirement

Carrier proteins in living

Membrane None / fully permeable Partially permeable
cell membrane