Endosmosis
Endosmosis
Endosmosis (pronunciation: /ˌɛndɒsˈmoʊsɪs/) is a biological process that involves the movement of molecules from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.
Etymology
The term "Endosmosis" is derived from the Greek words "endo", meaning "within", and "osmos", meaning "push". It was first used in the early 19th century to describe the movement of water and other molecules across a cell's membrane.
Process
Endosmosis occurs when a solution with a lower concentration of solutes (the solvent) is separated from a solution with a higher concentration of solutes (the solute) by a semi-permeable membrane. The solvent molecules move from the area of lower concentration to the area of higher concentration, equalizing the concentration of solutes on both sides of the membrane. This process is driven by the difference in solute concentrations and continues until equilibrium is reached.
Related Terms
- Osmosis: The general process of movement of solvent from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
- Exosmosis: The reverse process of endosmosis, where solvent molecules move from an area of higher solute concentration to an area of lower solute concentration.
- Diffusion: The process of movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
- Semi-permeable membrane: A type of biological or synthetic membrane that allows certain molecules or ions to pass through it by diffusion.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Endosmosis
- Wikipedia's article - Endosmosis
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski