𝔗𝚎𝚑 𝔅𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚔𝚒@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml · 2 years agoProfessional Scientists of Lemmy: What is your field of study's, most complex unanswered question?message-squaremessage-square104linkfedilinkarrow-up1233arrow-down12
arrow-up1231arrow-down1message-squareProfessional Scientists of Lemmy: What is your field of study's, most complex unanswered question?𝔗𝚎𝚑 𝔅𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚔𝚒@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml · 2 years agomessage-square104linkfedilink
minus-squareDogyote@slrpnk.netlinkfedilinkarrow-up13arrow-down1·2 years agoNo one really knows how osmosis works.
minus-squareChrobin@discuss.tchncs.delinkfedilinkarrow-up6·2 years agoI had to derive osmotic pressure for my statistical mechanics exam in my bachelor’s. So in what sense don’t we know?
minus-squareDogyote@slrpnk.netlinkfedilinkarrow-up8·2 years agoWe don’t know what molecular mechanism creates the pressure.
minus-squareOsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up4·2 years agoIsn’t it just water carrying stuff across a concentration gradient?
minus-squarebradorsomething@ttrpg.networklinkfedilinkarrow-up7·2 years agoGravity is just stuff falling, but there’s complexity there, as well.
minus-squareDogyote@slrpnk.netlinkfedilinkarrow-up2·2 years agoNo? Water can’t carry anything across the membrane.
minus-squareOsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up1·2 years agoOh. Then how does the stuff get across the membrane? Does the membrane allow stuff to move over a concentration gradient without the water?
minus-squareDogyote@slrpnk.netlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·2 years agoWater can move freely across the membrane, but the stuff that’s dissolved in the water cannot move across the membrane.
No one really knows how osmosis works.
I had to derive osmotic pressure for my statistical mechanics exam in my bachelor’s. So in what sense don’t we know?
We don’t know what molecular mechanism creates the pressure.
Isn’t it just water carrying stuff across a concentration gradient?
Gravity is just stuff falling, but there’s complexity there, as well.
No? Water can’t carry anything across the membrane.
Oh. Then how does the stuff get across the membrane? Does the membrane allow stuff to move over a concentration gradient without the water?
Water can move freely across the membrane, but the stuff that’s dissolved in the water cannot move across the membrane.