Exosmosis
Exosmosis (pronounced: ex-oh-smoh-sis) is a biological and chemical process that involves the movement of a solvent from an area of lower solute concentration, through a semipermeable membrane, to an area of higher solute concentration. This process is a type of Osmosis and is crucial in various biological processes and phenomena.
Etymology
The term 'Exosmosis' is derived from the Greek words 'exo', meaning 'out of', and 'osmos', meaning 'push'. It was first used in the mid-19th century to describe the outward movement of water in plant cells.
Process
Exosmosis occurs when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, i.e., a solution with a higher solute concentration than the cell's cytoplasm. The water molecules inside the cell move out to the solution through the cell's semipermeable membrane, causing the cell to shrink. This process is also known as Plasmolysis.
Related Terms
- Osmosis: The process of movement of solvent from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration through a semipermeable membrane.
- Endosmosis: The opposite of exosmosis, where water molecules move into the cell when it is placed in a hypotonic solution.
- Plasmolysis: The process of water moving out of the cell, causing it to shrink, due to exosmosis.
- Hypertonic Solution: A solution with a higher solute concentration than the cell's cytoplasm, causing exosmosis.
- Hypotonic Solution: A solution with a lower solute concentration than the cell's cytoplasm, causing endosmosis.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Exosmosis
- Wikipedia's article - Exosmosis
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