question: What is the process by which water moves through semi-permeable membranes from one part of the body to another?
distractor3: mitosis
distractor1: diffusion
distractor2: electrolysis
correct_answer: osmosis
support: 26.1 | Body Fluids and Fluid Compartments By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Explain the importance of water in the body • Contrast the composition of the intracellular fluid with that of the extracellular fluid • Explain the importance of protein channels in the movement of solutes • Identify the causes and symptoms of edema The chemical reactions of life take place in aqueous solutions. The dissolved substances in a solution are called solutes. In the human body, solutes vary in different parts of the body, but may include proteins—including those that transport lipids, carbohydrates, and, very importantly, electrolytes. Often in medicine, a mineral dissociated from a salt that carries an electrical charge (an ion) is called and electrolyte. For instance, sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) are often referred to as electrolytes. In the body, water moves through semi-permeable membranes of cells and from one compartment of the body to another by a process called osmosis. Osmosis is basically the diffusion of water from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration, along an osmotic gradient across a semi-permeable membrane. As a result, water will move into and out of cells and tissues, depending on the relative concentrations of the water and solutes found there. An appropriate balance of solutes inside and outside of cells must be maintained to ensure normal function.