Question

Help please!!

Answer 1

Explain what diffusion is and what osmosis is, how are they similar, how are the different

Answer 2

Diffusion is simply to movement of particles through a semipermeable membrane or into a general area. For example, if you had oxygen and you released it into the room, it would diffuse or mix in. Another Example is if you have a dye solution(like trypan blue) and you put it into a semipermeable bag with inside of a solvent, the dye would slowly go from the bag to the solution on the outside of the bag.

Osmosis is the same thing however it only applies to the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane. So if you put water into a semipermiable container, that was submerged into ad tub of salt water, the water would slowly gor from inside the bag to the outside.

However there are key differences.
1. While diffusion spreads molecules(gas, liquid.) into spaces where there is empty space that can be occupied, osmosis doesnt. Osmosis follows a concentration gradient*(This is the key), so the reson it would flow from inside the bag to the saltwater on the outside of the membrane is because the salt water has a lower concentration of water because it is also mixed with salt, so the water goes to fill it up until the concentration of water on both sides of the membrane are equal.

2. Diffusion applies to different molecules like gases, and it does have to do with entering cells exactly. For example, CarbonDioxide(CO2) enters a plant by diffusion, meaning the little carbondioxide molecule float around in the atmpsphere until by chance they enter the little holes in the leaves call Stomata. However, Osmosis generally only applies to function on the cell level. So it crosses the cell membranes to help take out waste particles and to bring in nutrients.