Final answer:
The false statement about osmosis is that option a: 'the solute always flows toward the hypertonic solution,' because in osmosis, it is the solvent (water) that moves towards the hypertonic solution, not the solute.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is osmosis, which is a fundamental biological process involving the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane. When assessing the truthfulness of statements regarding osmosis, it is important to understand its principles carefully. Osmosis refers to the diffusion of water from an area of higher water concentration to an area of lower water concentration across a membrane that allows the passage of water but not the solute.
The statement that is NOT true about osmosis is: "the solute always flows toward the hypertonic solution." In fact, it is the solvent (water) that moves towards the hypertonic solution. A hypertonic solution has a higher solute concentration and thus a lower water concentration compared to the other side of the membrane, prompting water to move into this solution to achieve equilibriu.
An isotonic solution is where there is no net flow of water since the solute concentrations are equal on both sides of the membrane, making the statement "there is no net flow in an isotonic solution" true. Additionally, osmosis indeed requires the presence of a selectively permeable membrane, and the solvent, which is water, can pass through it but the solute cannot, aligning with how osmosis is described scientifically.