What is the term for the pressure needed to stop osmosis?

What is the term for the pressure needed to stop osmosis?

• A. Osmolarity
• B. Osmotic pressure
• C. Concentration gradient
• D. Tonicity

Answer: (B)

The term for the pressure needed to stop osmosis is osmotic pressure. It specifically refers to the pressure required to counterbalance the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane due to differences in solute concentration. This pressure is a crucial concept in understanding how fluids move across cellular membranes. When a solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution, water will naturally move toward that higher concentration to achieve equilibrium. The osmotic pressure is the force that must be applied to prevent this movement from occurring. This concept is essential in various physiological processes, such as maintaining cell turgor and regulating blood pressure. Other terms like osmolarity relate to the concentration of solute particles in a solution but do not specifically address the pressure aspect. The concentration gradient refers to the difference in concentration of substances between two areas, which drives the process of diffusion, not directly addressing the pressure required to stop it. Tonicity describes how a solution affects cell volume in relation to osmotic pressure but is not the measure of that pressure itself. Thus, osmotic pressure is the precise term that captures the concept of the force needed to halt osmosis.

The term for the pressure needed to stop osmosis is osmotic pressure. It specifically refers to the pressure required to counterbalance the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane due to differences in solute concentration. This pressure is a crucial concept in understanding how fluids move across cellular membranes.

When a solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution, water will naturally move toward that higher concentration to achieve equilibrium. The osmotic pressure is the force that must be applied to prevent this movement from occurring. This concept is essential in various physiological processes, such as maintaining cell turgor and regulating blood pressure.

Other terms like osmolarity relate to the concentration of solute particles in a solution but do not specifically address the pressure aspect. The concentration gradient refers to the difference in concentration of substances between two areas, which drives the process of diffusion, not directly addressing the pressure required to stop it. Tonicity describes how a solution affects cell volume in relation to osmotic pressure but is not the measure of that pressure itself. Thus, osmotic pressure is the precise term that captures the concept of the force needed to halt osmosis.