Question

1. How do osmotic power plants work?

2 Research the structures that protect plant and animal cells from damage resulting from osmotic pressure. Write a few paragraphs explaining what they are, how they work, and where they are located.

Answer 1

Please find the answers below:

Answer 1: The osmotic pressure has a very strong influence on plant. The osmotic pressue is the pressure created by the solvent phase from inside or outside of the cell depending upon the salt concentration against the cell wall. This pressure helps in movement of solvent across the cells and thus maintains a proper water head and water potential across the plant cells. Since this water potential is necessarily involved in controlling rate and extent of absorption of water from roots as well as transpiration from leaves, osmotic pressure thus controls the physiological functions in the plants.

Answer 2: The osmotic pressure is vital, but can be destructive in nature, if uncontrolled. The plant cells bear a protective cell wall around them which holds their structure intact and prevents any collapse or shrinkage taking place due to osmotic pressure disturbance. Similarly, the animal cells contain a semi-permeable cell membrane or plasma membrane around them which protects them from unhostile water disturbances. This membrane assists inwards and outwards movement of water/solvent depending upon the external and internal concentrations.

Thus, these two structures protect the plant and animal cells from osmotic disturbances.