Define Exosmosis?

Exosmosis is the process in which water moves out of a cell through a semipermeable membrane when the cell is placed in a hypertonic solution.

In exosmosis, water moves from a region of higher water concentration inside the cell to a region of lower concentration outside the cell. This happens because of osmosis, where the solvent moves to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane.

Example

• When a plant cell is placed in a salt solution, water moves out of the cell.
• The cell membrane shrinks away from the cell wall, causing plasmolysis.

Importance

Exosmosis helps maintain cell balance and prevents bursting when external conditions change. It’s important in food preservation methods like salting and pickling, where bacteria lose water and die.