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Related Concept Videos

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions02:40

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions

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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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Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity01:28

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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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Osmotic Pressure01:26

Osmotic Pressure

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Osmosis is a process where solvent molecules move toward a solution through a semipermeable membrane. As the solution dilutes due to the entry of solvent, it expands. This expansion increases the hydrostatic pressure of the solution. When the hydrostatic pressure equals the osmotic pressure, osmosis stops.Osmotic pressure, denoted by Π, is the minimum pressure needed to prevent the solvent from passing into the solution by osmosis. The van 't Hoff equation calculates the osmotic pressure...
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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.
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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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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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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

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Osmotic Stress.

Karlheinz Altendorf, Ian R Booth, Jay Gralla

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    Escherichia coli and Salmonella adapt to osmotic stress by regulating internal solutes and activating specific genes. They utilize osmoprotectants or synthesize trehalose to maintain cell function and survive environmental changes.

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    Phosphoproteomic Strategy for Profiling Osmotic Stress Signaling in Arabidopsis
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    Area of Science:

    • Microbiology
    • Cell Biology
    • Environmental Science

    Background:

    • Bacteria like Escherichia coli and Salmonella face fluctuating osmotic pressures in diverse environments.
    • Osmotic stress disrupts cellular integrity and function by altering water balance.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To elucidate the osmoregulatory mechanisms employed by E. coli and Salmonella.
    • To understand how these bacteria adapt to osmotic upshifts and downshifts.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of solute accumulation and release in response to osmotic changes.
    • Investigation of gene expression and transporter activity under osmotic stress.
    • Study of mechanosensitive channels' role in osmotic downshifts.

    Main Results:

    • Osmotic upshifts trigger compatible solute accumulation (trehalose or uptake of osmoprotectants) and gene induction.
    • Osmotic downshifts activate mechanosensitive channels to prevent cell lysis.
    • Compatible solutes are more effective than K+ glutamate for restoring hydration and growth.

    Conclusions:

    • E. coli and Salmonella possess sophisticated osmoregulatory systems involving solute balance, gene regulation, and channel activity.
    • These mechanisms are crucial for bacterial survival and adaptation in variable environments.
    • Future research will focus on structural remodeling, gene expression control, and transporter/channel mechanisms.