What is the importance of osmosis in maintaining the structure of a plant?

Osmosis is the passive movement of water molecules down their concentration gradient across a partially permeable membrane. In plant cells, water moves via osmosis into the vacuole of the cell. The osmotic pressure (i.e. the pressure created by having lots of water molecules in the vacuole) pushes out, and makes the cell turgid. Maintaining the turgidity of cells helps to keep the plant upright (imagine the difference between a bouncy castle that's full of air versus one that's started to deflate). This is necessary in plants, because unlike in many animals, they don't have bones to keep them upright.

SC
Answered by Sarah C. Biology tutor

9277 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Which component of the vaccine stimulates an immune defence? How do they prevent people from catching the disease e.g. mumps?


In 2012, two scientists were awarded the Nobel prize for their research on stem cells. They showed that adult cells could be reprogrammed to become cells with the properties of embryonic stem cells. Describe the possible benefits of this research.


Explain active transport


Male B has a mass of 72kg, and a height of 1.81m. Calculate the BMI of Male B to 3.s.f. (3)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning