osmosis

Solvent through membrane

Osmosis is the movement of water through a membrane from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated one.

The term belongs to chemistry and biology, describing how cells regulate their water content.

Figuratively, osmosis means gradual, effortless absorption: He learned French by osmosis, just from living in Paris.

The idea is that knowledge seeps in without active effort, the way water passes through a cell wall.

biological

semipermeable

Allowing partial passage

membraneThin tissue sheet
soluteSubstance absorbed by solvent
solventDissolving liquid or financially stable

concentration · gradient · aquaporins · homeostasis · hypertonic · hypotonic · isotonic · turgor · cytolysis · dialysis

figurative

absorb

Take in fully

assimilateAbsorb and incorporate fully
subconsciousBelow conscious awareness
gradualDeveloping slowly over time

passive · immersion · exposure · environment · cultural · pick-up · learn · ambient · effortless · unconscious

transfer

flow

Unbroken forward movement

fluxContinuous change or flow
movementChange in position
migrationMovement to new territory

passage · exchange · transmission · permeation · translocation · conveyance · circulation · redistribution

absorption

permeate

Spread through entirely

seepFlow slowly through
infuseSaturate by steeping
saturateSoak to full capacity

soak · imbibe · steep · penetrate · infiltrate · suffuse · percolate · pervasion · gradual · slow

Categories

physical chemistrythermodynamics, kinetics, chemical equilibrium, reaction rates, activation energy
Biological Transportdiffusion, carrier proteins, endocytosis, exocytosis, aquaporins
cell membranescell membrane, plasma membrane, nuclear membrane, bilayer, phospholipid
membrane transportconcentration gradient, sodium channel, chloride channel, diffusion, ionophore
purificationchromatography, centrifugation, filtration, electrophoresis, dialysis
sciencebiology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology

Opposites

biological transport mechanism

osmosisendocytosis

Cell engulfs external material

exocytosis · phagocytosis

permeability/barrier function

osmosisimpermeability

Resistance to passage

blockage · impenetrability · obstruction · barrier · occlusion

learning/absorption method

osmosisactive learning

Education through direct participation

drilling · cramming · rote learning · memorization

Phrases

reverse osmosisPressure-driven membrane filtration

Family

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