Semipermeable
Semipermeable
Semipermeable (pronunciation: /ˌsɛmi pɜːrˈmiːəbəl/) is a term used in biology and chemistry to describe a type of membrane that allows certain substances to pass through it but not others.
Etymology
The term semipermeable is derived from the Latin semi- meaning "half" and the English permeable meaning "capable of being permeated or passed through", referring to the selective nature of semipermeable membranes.
Definition
A semipermeable membrane is a type of biological or synthetic, sheet-like structure that is permeable to certain molecules. The selectivity of a semipermeable membrane can depend on factors such as size, charge, or chemical nature.
Related Terms
- Permeability: The measure of a material's ability to transmit fluids.
- Osmosis: The process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one.
- Diffusion: The process by which particles spread out from each other in a mixture.
- Dialysis: The separation of particles in a liquid on the basis of differences in their ability to pass through a semipermeable membrane.
Applications
Semipermeable membranes are used in various scientific applications, such as in the process of reverse osmosis for water purification, in dialysis in the medical field, and in the study of cell behavior in biology.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Semipermeable
- Wikipedia's article - Semipermeable
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