semipermeable membrane

(noun)

One that will allow certain molecules or ions to pass through it by diffusion.

Related Terms

  • osmosis
  • ideal solution
  • osmotic pressure

Examples of semipermeable membrane in the following topics:

  • Osmotic Pressure

    • Osmosis is defined as the net flow or movement of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane through which solute molecules cannot pass.
    • If a solution consisting of both solute and solvent molecules is placed on one side of a membrane and pure solvent is placed on the other side, there is a net flow of solvent into the solution side of the membrane.
    • Osmotic pressure is the pressure that needs to be applied to a solution to prevent the inward flow of water across a semipermeable membrane.
    • One way to stop osmosis is to increase the hydrostatic pressure on the solution side of the membrane; this ultimately squeezes the solvent molecules closer together, increasing their "escaping tendency."
    • The pure water is trying to dilute the solution by travelling through the semipermeable membrane.
  • Phospholipids

    • Phospholipids are the main constituents of cell membranes.
    • This bilayer membrane structure is also found in aggregate structures called liposomes.
    • The bilayer membrane that separates the interior of a cell from the surrounding fluids is largely composed of phospholipids, but it incorporates many other components, such as cholesterol, that contribute to its structural integrity.
    • Protein channels that permit the transport of various kinds of chemical species in and out of the cell are also important components of cell membranes.
    • The sphingomyelins are also membrane lipids.
  • Medical Solutions: Colligative Properties

    • Its name is derived from osmosis, which is the net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane; the molecules travel from a region of higher solute concentration to a region with lower solute concentration.
    • Cell membranes are permeable to water, so the osmolality of the extracellular fluid (ECF) is approximately equal to that of the intracellular fluid (ICF).
  • Phosphorus Compounds

    • Phospholipids are the main structural components of all cellular membranes and consist of a long alkyl chain terminating in a phosphate group.
    • Living cells are defined by a membrane that separates it from its surroundings.
    • Biological membranes are made from a phospholipid matrix and proteins, typically in the form of a bilayer.
  • Electrochemical Cell Notation

    • A double vertical line ( || ) represents a salt bridge or porous membrane separating the individual half-cells.
  • Electrolysis of Sodium Chloride

    • The ion-selective membrane (B) allows the counterion Na+ to freely flow across, but prevents anions such as hydroxide (OH-) and chloride from diffusing across.
  • RNA and Protein Synthesis

    • Nisin kills gram positive bacteria by binding to their membranes and targeting lipid II, an essential precursor of cell wall synthesis.
    • This wall consists mainly of peptidoglycan or murein, a three-dimensional polymer of sugars and amino acids located on the exterior of the cytoplasmic membrane.
    • Peptidoglycan subunits are assembled on the cytoplasmic side of the bacterial membrane from a polyisoprenoid anchor.
    • Lipid II, a membrane-anchored cell-wall precursor that is essential for bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis, is one of the key components in the synthesis of peptidoglycan.
  • Conjugated π-Orbital Functions

    • This would be especially important when the chromophore is encapsulated in a protein or bilayer membrane.
  • Equilibrium Constant and Cell Potential

    • A membrane permeable to K+ ions was introduced between the two halves.
  • Properties of Nitrogen

    • ., pressurized reverse osmosis membrane or pressure swing adsorption).
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