BRAINCAKEOsmosis in Animal Cells
Animal cells are enclosed in a cell membrane made of a phospholipid bilayer.
The cytoplasm has various solutes dissolved in it so has a negative water potential.
The diameter of a red blood cell is about 7nm. If a red blood cell in placed in pure water, water will move into the cell by osmosis.
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Key terms in this lesson
- phospholipid
- A lipid in which one fatty acid is replaced by a phosphate group, giving a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.
- osmosis
- The net movement of water molecules from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential through a selectively permeable membrane.
- water potential
- The pressure created by water molecules, a measure of the tendency of water to move out of a solution; pure water has a water potential of zero and solutes make it more negative.
More in Transport Across Cell Membranes
- Protein Channels
- Carrier Proteins
- Water Potentital Φ
- Osmosis
- Osmosis in Plant Cells
- Active Transport
- Sodium-Potassium Pump
- Increasing the Rate of Movement across a Membrane
All 22 lessons in Transport Across Cell Membranes · All AQA AS-level Biology topics