Final answer:
Facilitated diffusion does not require ATP energy, and it helps molecules, like glucose, cross the cell membrane through specific carriers or channels, facilitating passive transport, including water movement in osmosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Facilitated diffusion implies that energy in ATP form is NOT required. Facilitated diffusion is a process where carrier proteins and channel proteins assist in the passive transport of molecules, such as glucose, across the cell membrane from a higher concentration to a lower concentration without the use of energy.
In facilitated diffusion, substances like glucose are transferred into cells by specific glucose transporters. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion where water moves across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to high solute concentration, and it can also occur through proteins called aquaporins in a facilitated manner. Therefore, facilitated diffusion assists in osmosis by allowing water and other selected molecules to pass through the membrane more efficiently than by simple diffusion alone.
For a hypothetical cell with a higher concentration of glucose inside than outside, glucose cannot simply diffuse across the cell membrane on its own due to its polar nature. It requires facilitated diffusion for passive transport across the membrane.