Which statement correctly describes osmosis?

Which statement correctly describes osmosis?

• A. Water moves from higher solute concentration to lower solute concentration.
• B. Osmosis requires active transport to move solutes.
• C. Water moves from a compartment with lower solute concentration to one with higher solute concentration.
• D. Solutes move from low concentration to high concentration.

Answer: (C)

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward the region with higher solute concentration. Water moves to dilute the solutes and balance concentrations, driven by differences in water potential. The membrane is permeable to water but not to most solutes, so the flow continues until balance is approached or established osmotic pressure halts it. The statement that best describes osmosis is that water moves from a compartment with lower solute concentration to one with higher solute concentration. The other ideas describe water moving in the opposite direction, requiring energy, or moving solutes themselves (diffusion), none of which capture osmosis correctly.

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward the region with higher solute concentration. Water moves to dilute the solutes and balance concentrations, driven by differences in water potential. The membrane is permeable to water but not to most solutes, so the flow continues until balance is approached or established osmotic pressure halts it. The statement that best describes osmosis is that water moves from a compartment with lower solute concentration to one with higher solute concentration. The other ideas describe water moving in the opposite direction, requiring energy, or moving solutes themselves (diffusion), none of which capture osmosis correctly.