Question

Aquaporins are used for water molecules to travel across the cell membrane at a substantial rate by the process ____________.

Answer 1

Aquaporins facilitate the transport of water molecules through cell membranes by the process of osmosis, which is crucial for maintaining cellular water balance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Aquaporins are specialized channel proteins that facilitate the rapid transport of water molecules across cell membranes, a process known as osmosis. These channels are vital for maintaining water balance within cells and are tightly regulated to meet the specific water balance requirements of the cell. In humans, there are at least 10 types of aquaporins, with various subtypes found in different tissues, including six in the kidneys. Notably, their discovery was so significant to our understanding of cellular water balance that it led to a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003.