Tag: diffusion and osmosis

Questions Related to diffusion and osmosis

Why does the skin of your finger shrink, when you wash clothes for a long time?

biology movement in and out of the cell diffusion across cells diffusion and osmosis inter cellular movement

  1. Soap is hypotonic, so water is moved out of finger by osmosis.

  2. Soap is hypertonic, so water is moved out of finger by osmosis.

  3. Soap is isotonic, so water is moved into finger by osmosis.

  4. Finger skin is very tender.

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:
  • Soap contains a lot of solutes. Hence, when washing clothes, solute concentration is more in soap water than in cells of hand. Due to this, the water molecules present in cells of hand move out in soap solution. 
  • This is an osmotic process in which the water molecules move from lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration, i.e., from dilute solutions to concentrated solution through a semi-permeable membrane. Soap is a hypertonic solution with high amounts of salts. 

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution:

biology movement in and out of the cell diffusion across cells diffusion and osmosis inter cellular movement

  1. solute exits the cell to equalize the concentration on both sides of the membrane

  2. water exits the cell toward the area of lower solute concentration

  3. water exits the cell toward the area of higher solute concentration

  4. solute exits and water enters the cell

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:

A hypertonic solution is a solution which has higher osmotic pressure i.e; having more solute concentration outside the cell than inside. When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the water moves to the surrounding from inside the cell as it moves from higher water concentration to lower water concentration.

So, the correct option is 'water exits and solute enters the cell'.

When Amoeba is placed in a hypertonic medium, it 

biology movement in and out of the cell diffusion across cells diffusion and osmosis inter cellular movement

  1. Shrinks

  2. Swells

  3. Bursts

  4. No change

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

If Amoeba is kept in a hypertonic solution, then exosmosis occurs in which, the water molecules move from inside of the cell to outside of the cell through the cell membrane and thus, Amoeba will shrink because water moves from the region of higher concentration to the region of lower concentration region.