I’m a med student so I know the basics, but how does it really work? Like, if a cell has a high [Na+] and the environment has a low [Na+] how is it possibly entropically favorable for water to press against the cell walls and expand the cell, which would definitely require energy to combat the resting force of the cell Wall’s elasticity. Is this even considered an entropic force?
In: Physics
Omosis works because water molecules inside and outside the cell are constantly moving in and out. If there is more water outside the cell than the inside, there will be more water moving inside the cell at any given time because there is simply more of it outside. If you have two areas with a small net in between and you put a bunch of bouncy balls into one side, the bouncy balls will eventually equilibrate on both sides. Bouncy balls will continue traveling between the two areas, however since there are more of them on one side, there will be more movement into the area with no bouncy balls.
Eventually you will get to a point were there is equal water inside and outside so there will be equal movement of water inside and outside.
Water molecules are always passing back and forth though the membrane, however if there is a higher concentration inside, some of the water molecules will be attracted to the solute particles and will have a harder time going back
This will result in a net increase of water inside the cell, however pressure will build up, and eventually that pressure becomes strong enough to counteract the osmosis effect, reaching equilibrium
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