Final answer:
Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from a high water concentration region to a low concentration region, influenced by solute concentration, while diffusion involves movement of any molecules across a concentration gradient without a membrane.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Osmosis and Diffusion
Osmosis is a specialized form of diffusion that includes some distinct differences from general diffusion. First, osmosis specifically refers to the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of higher water concentration to an area of lower water concentration. Diffusion, in contrast, is the movement of any type of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration without the need for a membrane. Second, osmosis is driven by the water concentration gradient which is inversely proportional to the solute concentration, meaning that osmosis is influenced by the concentration of solutes that cannot cross the membrane.