what is the importance of osmosis and active transport within cell physiology?

Osmosis is the net movement of solvent molecules across a a selectively permeable membrane from an area with a high concentration of solvent molecules to an area of low concentration of solvent molecules. In living systems the chief solvent is water. Don’t let people confuse you by implying that osmosis is the same as simple diffusion (the overall movement of molecules or ions from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration till equilibrium is reached. Cells use simple diffusion for certain micro molecules like oxygen and carbon dioxide), or facilitated diffusion (a transported substance is coupled with a transporter molecule, again from a area of high concentration to a area of low concentration). Osmosis is important for a variety of cellular actions because osmotic pressure (isotonic, hypertonic or hypotonic) can interfere with a cell’s growth and metabolism. An easy example is salting food for storage: the salt creates an hypertonic solution in which there is more solutes on the outside of the cell than there is on the inside of the cell. This pulls water out of the cell, which plasmolyzes, or ruptures, it, thus killing the cell, which in this case is a bacterium. Now on to the second question, active transport and it’s cellular repercussions.

In active transport, which requires ATP (fuel), the cell uses energy to move a substance across the plasma membrane. The movement of a substance in active transport is usually from outside to inside, even though the solute concentration on the outside might be much higher than inside the cell. Thus active transport can get the cell needed nutrients when passive processes would not be effective. The real object to remember is the passive processes don’t use ATP. Active processes use ATP. I sincerely hope this answers your question. Thank you.

Active transport requires expenditure of energy, and the assistance of a type of protein called a carrier protein. Osmosis is a physical process in which a solvent spontaneously moves, without input of energy, across a semipermeable membrane (permeable to the solvent, but not the solute) under influence of higher pressure of the column of water on the hypotonic side of the semipermeable membrane (the side with a lesser concentration), and tends to reduce the difference in concentrations. Unlike active transport which requires (chemical) energy, the osmosis releases energy, and can be made to do work.

Osmosis and active transport move oxygen and other chemicals and nutrients through the cell membrane and into the nucleus of the cell. It the way the cell breathes and eats essentially.

osmosis is an example of passive tansport. it allows water to go into a cell by going through a semipermiable cell membrane, it is the transport of substances from hig concentration to low concentration, there is also diffusion where a semipermiable membrane is not needed and the substance can be anything. while active transport needs energy and is the transport of substances from low concentration to higer concentration. there are 2 types of active transport engulfing and carrier proteins.

I do know that osmosis operates in sooo many different ways in your body. One of those ways is to regulate the fluid inside and outside of your cells. If osmosis didn't happen your body would retain water and you would swell up. Of course this isn't the way that your doctor would explain, I'm not a doctor.

osmosis is a type of active transport...it's just that osmosis is the diffuison of water.

To transport water and minerals from soil, to roots and to the higher end, which is the leaves..Especialy With tall trees, it is important that water would reach the leaves for respiration, thus root pressure transpiration is the main activity to transport these..

obtaining nutrition from fast food.

studying for the test in the am while partying.

are probably the most important two.

getting technical questions from yahooers answered without actually reading about it is called "almost osmosis"

well.. osmosis isnt always good sometimes blood cells and things can explode from it. but, thungs like K/Na pumps help make electric impulses for things like nerve cells.