Question

Which of the following is not an example of osmosis?

• A. Water passing from root hair to adjacent cells.
• B. Water passing up a xylem element to another element above it.
• C. Water entering mesophyll cell from the xylem elements.
• D. Water entering the root hair from the soil.

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Osmosis is the process of movement of water along the concentration gradient through a selectively permeable membrane. Movement of water among adjacent cells is by osmosis as observed in water moving in root cells and also from vascular bundle to ground tissue cells.
The process of uptake of water from soil into the root is mainly by osmosis due to difference in the water concentration in the root cell and soil.
Movement of water within the xylem element is by capillary action and cohesion action of the water than osmosis. Also, the movement is assisted by transpirational pull and diffusion.