Final answer:
Absorption through aqueous pores such as aquaporins involves the selective movement of water across cell membranes via facilitated diffusion. These channel proteins allow rapid water transport along the concentration gradient, and some can also move other small molecules. The study of aquaporins is significant to cellular water balance and has been recognized with a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Step-by-step explanation:
Absorption through aqueous pores, such as aquaporins, facilitates the movement of water across the cell membrane. These special channel proteins create hydrophilic channels that allow water molecules to bypass the hydrophobic interior of the phospholipid bilayer. This process, known as facilitated diffusion, enables water to move along its concentration gradient at a high rate without requiring energy.
Aquaporins are highly selective, and some are also able to transport other small molecules such as glucose, glycerol, and ions, in addition to water. The importance of maintaining water balance within cells is so vital that the discovery of aquaporins led to the awarding of a Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Peter Agre in 2003. Mutations in aquaporin genes have since been linked to several genetic diseases.
While aquaporins are responsible for a significant portion of water movement across membranes, other forms of absorption include active transport, passive diffusion, co-transport, and endocytosis, which utilize different mechanisms to move substances across the cellular barrier.