Final answer:
Passive transport, including osmosis, involves the movement of molecules across a cell membrane without energy input from the cell, and osmosis specifically refers to water moving through a semipermeable membrane to balance solute concentrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Passive Transport and Osmosis
Passive transport is a cellular process where molecules move across the cell membrane without the need for energy from the cell. This can happen through diffusion, where substances move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration to balance out the concentrations.
Osmosis is a special type of passive transport, specifically the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration. This movement of water occurs until the solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The physical principle behind osmosis is the desire of the system to reach equilibrium; in biological terms, this helps in maintaining cell integrity and adapting to different solute compositions in the extracellular environment.
The concept of tonicity relates to the amount of solute in a solution compared to another solution and has significance in osmosis as it influences the direction and extent of water movement across cell membranes.