Osmosis in the Body Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

PERSONALISED 1-TO-1 TUTORING

Need more help on this topic? Get 1-to-1 support

Get support with clear explanations, practice and feedback (Ages 5 to 16).

  • DBS-checked tutors
  • Flexible times
  • Parents can be updated
Book a free 10-min call See pricing

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to remove ads

What is osmosis?

Osmosis is the movement of water from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution through a partially permeable membrane.

What does a partially permeable membrane do in osmosis?

It lets small molecules like water pass through, but stops larger molecules from moving across.

In which direction does water move during osmosis?

Water moves from a region with a high concentration of water (more dilute solution) to a region with a lower concentration of water (more concentrated solution).

How is osmosis different from simple diffusion?

Diffusion is the spreading out of any particles from high to low concentration, while osmosis is the movement of only water through a partially permeable membrane.

What happens to an animal cell placed in pure water, and why?

Water enters the cell by osmosis, the cell swells, and it may burst because the solution outside is more dilute than inside the cell.

What happens to an animal cell placed in a very concentrated solution, and why?

Water leaves the cell by osmosis, so the cell shrinks and crinkles because the solution outside is more concentrated than inside the cell.

Why must the concentration of the blood be kept similar to that inside red blood cells?

So that water does not rush in or out of red blood cells by osmosis, which could change their shape and stop them carrying oxygen properly.

How does osmosis help the body keep water balance in cells?

Water moves by osmosis into or out of cells through their membranes, helping keep their water content and size steady.

How does osmosis help absorb water from the small intestine into the blood?

After digested food is absorbed into the blood, the blood becomes more concentrated, so water moves by osmosis from the gut into the blood.

How is osmosis involved in the kidneys?

In the kidney tubules, water moves by osmosis from the fluid back into the blood, helping the body keep water and control how concentrated the urine is.

Previous Topic
Back to Lesson
Next Topic