Question

Imagine a small synthetic vesicle made from pure phospholipids enclosing an interior lumen containing 1 mM glucose and 1 mM sodium chloride. If the vesicle is placed in pure water, which of the following happens faster?

A. Na+ diffuses out.
B. Cl– diffuses out.
C. H2O diffuses in.
D. Glucose diffuses out.
E. Sodium chloride diffuses out.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. H2O diffuses in.

Explanation:

The phospholipids-made synthetic vesicle in this case will act like a semi-permeable membrane while the solution in the interior lumen will be hypertonic to the surrounding pure water.

Hence, water molecules will diffuse into the lumen through the semi-permeable membrane because of the osmotic gradient that exist between the internal and the surrounding solution of the vesicle.