Question

Osmosis is the spontaneous flow through a semipermeable membrane of:
a.) A less concentrated solution into a more concentrated solution.
b.) The solvent from a solution of lower concentration to one of higher concentration.
c.) Solute particles from a solution of higher concentration to one of lower concentration.
d.) None

Answer 1

Hint: The plants are able to take water from soil through the process of osmosis. The plant roots have high concentration of solutes when compared to water which is present in the soil. That is why the water flows into the roots of the plant.

Complete answer:
As we know that plants absorb water from soil through the process of osmosis.
Here the water flows from a soil which contains low concentration of solutes to high concentration of solutes.
Means in the process of osmosis is the spontaneous flow of solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a solution of lower concentration to one of higher concentration solution.
So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Additional Information:
Osmosis affects the transport of nutrients and the discharge of metabolic waste products in plants.
Through the xylem the process of osmosis takes place in plants.
It regulates the turgidity of cells.
Through the osmosis process the plants maintain their water content in spite of the constant water loss due to the process of transpiration.
Osmosis regulates the dehiscence of fruits and sporangia.
Higher osmotic pressure guards the plants in contradiction of drought injury.

Note: Osmosis and reverse osmosis are not the same. They are different concepts.
In reverse osmosis the solvent will move from high concentration to lower concentration through a semipermeable membrane by applying some amount of pressure called osmotic pressure. By using reverse osmosis we can convert seawater into drinking water.