Osmosis is the movement of which substance across a semipermeable membrane?
AWater molecules only
BSodium ions but not water
CWater plus its solutes
DLipid-soluble molecules
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Water molecules only
1. Osmosis is the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane according to the concentration gradient of water.
2. While diffusion transports material generally, osmosis transports only water across a membrane.
3. The membrane limits the diffusion of the solutes dissolved in that water.
4. So any option that carries solutes along with the water is describing diffusion instead.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes", section 5.2 Passive Transport_
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