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Related Concept Videos

Osmosis01:30

Osmosis

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Osmosis is the movement of free water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.  The water's concentration gradient across the membrane is inversely proportional to the solutes' concentration. Whereas diffusion transports material across membranes and within cells, osmosis transports only water across a membrane, and the membrane limits the diffusion of solutes in the water. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion.
Water, like other substances, moves from a high concentration of...
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Osmosis00:47

Osmosis

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Approximately 60% to 95% of the weight of living organisms is attributed to water. Therefore, maintaining appropriate water balance within cells is of paramount importance. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell’s plasma membrane. In living organisms, water plays a crucial role as a solvent—a molecule that dissolves other molecules.
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Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions02:40

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A number of natural and synthetic materials exhibit selective permeation, meaning that only molecules or ions of a certain size, shape, polarity, charge, and so forth, are capable of passing through (permeating) the material. Biological cell membranes provide elegant examples of selective permeation in nature, while dialysis tubing used to remove metabolic wastes from blood is a more simplistic technological example. Regardless of how they may be fabricated, these materials are generally...
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Tonicity in Animals00:59

Tonicity in Animals

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The tonicity of a solution determines if a cell gains or loses water in that solution. The tonicity depends on the permeability of the cell membrane for different solutes and the concentration of nonpenetrating solutes in the solution within and outside of the cell. If a semipermeable membrane hinders the passage of some solutes but allows water to follow its concentration gradient, water moves from the side with low osmolarity (i.e., less solute) to the side with higher osmolarity (i.e.,...
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Tonicity in Animals01:16

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Tonicity describes the amount of solute in a solution. The measure of the tonicity of a solution, or the total amount of solutes dissolved in a specific amount of solution, is called its osmolarity. Three terms—hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic—are used to relate the osmolarity of a cell to the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid that contains the cells. In a hypotonic solution, such as tap water, the extracellular fluid has a lower concentration of solutes than the fluid inside...
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Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity01:28

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity

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Osmolarity is the measure of solute concentration in a solution. It plays a critical role in determining water availability for organisms. Water moves across semipermeable membranes through osmosis, flowing from regions of lower solute concentration (more dilute) to regions of higher solute concentration (more concentrated).In high-solute environments, microbial cells lose water, leading to dehydration and inhibited growth. The extent to which water is available to microbes in such environments...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis
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Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis

Published on: February 19, 2018

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Osmotic homeostasis.

John Danziger1, Mark L Zeidel2

  • 1Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts jdanzige@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN
|August 1, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Maintaining water balance is crucial for cell function, especially in neurons. Specialized osmoreceptors and kidney adaptations regulate water homeostasis, preventing cell dysfunction and ensuring survival.

Keywords:
hypernatremiahyponatremiarenal physiologywater-electrolyte balance

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Neuron science
  • Renal physiology

Background:

  • Cellular volume regulation is vital for function.
  • Neurons face unique challenges in maintaining water balance due to their complex functions and confined space.
  • Disruptions in water homeostasis can lead to severe cellular and systemic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms underlying water homeostasis.
  • To explore the role of osmoreceptors and vasopressin in regulating water balance.
  • To discuss the renal adaptations involved in fine-tuning water absorption and the fundamentals of water balance disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on water homeostasis.
  • Analysis of neuronal and renal physiological mechanisms.
  • Discussion of osmoreceptor function and vasopressin regulation.
  • Examination of renal tubular structure-function relationships.

Main Results:

  • Neuronal osmoreceptors detect plasma osmolality changes.
  • Vasopressin release and thirst are key regulators of water balance.
  • Renal collecting ducts exhibit specialized structures for variable water permeability.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is essential for comprehending water balance disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Water homeostasis is a complex process involving central and peripheral mechanisms.
  • Neurons are particularly vulnerable to osmotic stress.
  • Renal adaptations are critical for fine-tuning water reabsorption.
  • Knowledge of these systems is fundamental for diagnosing and managing water balance disorders.