exosmosis

[ ek-sos-moh-sis, ek-soz- ]

noun

1. Biology. osmosis toward the outside of a cell or vessel.
2. Physical Chemistry. the flow of a substance from an area of greater concentration to one of lower concentration ( endosmosis ).

exosmosis

/ -ˈsɒs-; -sɒs-; ˌɛksɒzˈmɒtɪk; ˌɛksɒzˈməʊsɪs; ɛkˈsɒzmɪk; -sɒs- /

noun

1. biology osmosis in which water flows from a cell or organism into the surrounding solution Compare endosmosis

Derived Forms

• exosmotic, adjective

Other Words From

• ex·os·mot·ic [ek-sos-, mot, -ik, -soz-], adjective
• exos·moti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of exosmosis¹

1830–40; Latinization of now obsolete exosmose < French; ex- ², osmosis

Example Sentences

Such a direct return may be considered to take place whenever the pressure upon the outside of the vessel wall is greater than that within the latter, or when the chemical composition of the fluids on the two sides of the filter permits endosmosis as well as exosmosis.

From Project Gutenberg

Upon the development of a cell in any living tissue, and its power of reproducing other cells, and upon its function of communicating by endosmosis and exosmosis with other like cells, depend all our success in propagating vegetables, whether from seeds or buds, and parts containing these.

From Project Gutenberg

A hundred jars of hard earthenware are strongly individualized, but it is possible for them to be all equally empty or all equally full of the same homogeneous liquid, whereas two bladders of so delicate a membrane as to admit of the action of osmosis and exosmosis may be strongly differentiated and contain liquids of a very mixed composition.

From Project Gutenberg

A study of the means by which nature rids the economy of what is harmful has been made by Sanquirico, of Siena, and his experiments and conclusions are as follows: He finds that the vessels of the body, without undergoing extensive structural alteration, can by exosmosis rid themselves of fluid to an amount of eight per cent. of the body weight of the subject of the experiment.

From Project Gutenberg

The result is that a current of endosmosis takes place from the water toward the juice in the cells, and a current of exosmosis from the juice toward the water.

From Project Gutenberg