Sunday, January 30, 2011

Difference between Osmosis and Diffusion

Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration, while osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to a region of low concentration, through a partially permeable membrane.
 
Diffusion usually occurs in the gaseous state and the liquid state. It rarely happens in the solid state, but that does not mean that it would not happen at all. Furthermore, diffusion does not require water for the molecules to move.
 
On the other hand, osmosis requires water and usually happens with cells.When the liquid around the cell has a higher water concentration compared to the cell, the cell will gain water. This shows that osmosis requires water.

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