OSMOSIS OF PLANTS By: jazz g9s What is osmosis? Osmosis is a process when molecules of a solvent (liquid) diffuses through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, equalizing the concentrations on each side of the plant membrane. Process ? When the total water potential is bigger outside the plant cells than inside, water diffuses into the cytoplasm and vacuole, equalizing the concentrations on each side of the plant membrane. the cells swell and become firm. However the plant cells have cell walls not like animal cells which only has a layer of cell membrane, because cell wall are much stronger it stops the cell from bursting by resisting and presses back on the content. A plant cell in this process is said to be ‘turgid’ (very firm) Examples? When a plant cell is placed in a solution with a very low water potential, for example a concentrated salt solution, the plant it will lose water by osmosis. This is because the concentrated salt solution has a much lower water potential than the cell, so the water molecules diffuses out of the cell.