OSMOSIS
Osmosis can be regarded as special form of diffusion. If a dilute solution is
separated from a concentrated solution by a partially permeable membrane, water
diffuses across the membrane from the dilute to the concentrated solution. This is
known as osmosis. A partially permeable membrane is porous but allows water to pass
through it more rapidly than dissolved substances.
Since a dilute solution contains, in effect, more water molecules than a concentrated
solution, there is a diffusion gradient which favours the passage of water from the
dilute to the concentrated solution.
In living cells, the cell membrane is partially permeable, and the cytoplasm and vacuole
(in plant cells) contain dissolved substances. As a consequence, water tends to diffuse
into cells by osmosis if they are surrounded by a weak solution, e.g. fresh water. If the
cells are surrounded by a stronger solution, e.g. sea water, the cells may lose water by
osmosis.
The uptake of water from the soil through plants roots depend largely on osmosis.
Water moves from cell to cell by osmosis down a concentration gradient. This means
that each cell has a lower water concentration than the one before it.
Suppose some cells, such as red blood cells are placed in salt solutions of different
concentrations as shown below.
Cell cytoplasm contains a solution of various substances (salt, sugars, proteins, e.t.c) in
water. When the red blood cells are placed in water or a very dilute salt solution, water
flows through the cell membrane and into the cell. The cell swells and can even burst.
The opposite process happens in concentrated salt solution and the cell shrinks. From
this you will appreciate how important it is to have the right concentration of solutes in
the liquid around the cells.
If a plant cell is surrounded by water or a solution more dilute than its contents, water
will pass into the vacuole by osmosis. The vacuole will expand and press outwards on the
cytoplasm and the cell wall. The cell wall of a mature plant cell cannot be stretched, so
there comes a time when the inflow of water is resisted by the stretchable cell wall (Fig
1)
This has a similar effect to inflating a soft bicycle tyre. The tyre represents the firm
cell wall; the floppy inner tube is like the cytoplasm and the air inside correspond to the
vacuole. If enough air is pumped in, it pushes the inner tube against the tyre and makes
the tyre hard.
A plant cell with the vacuole pushing out on the cell wall is said to be turgid and the
vacuole is exerting turgor pressure on the cell wall.
If all cells in a leaf and stem are turgid, the stem will be firm and upright, and leaves
held out straight.
If the vacuoles lose water for any reason, the cells will lose their turgor and become
flaccid. (Fig 3)
A leaf with flaccid cells will be limp and stem will drop. A plant which loses water to this
extent is said to be ‘wilting’.
Plasmolysis is when plant cells lose water after being placed in a solution that has a
higher concentration – this causes the water to diffuse out of the vacuole and as it
does, the vacuole shrinks and pulls the cytoplasm from the cell wall leaving the cell
flaccid (Fig 4). Cells in the same concentration stay the same. (Fig 2)
