title: Osmosis is not driven by water dilution.
abstract: There is a misconception among plant scientists that osmosis is driven by the tendency of solutes to dilute water. In this opinion article, we discuss the quantitative and qualitative failures of this view, and go on to review the correct kinetic picture of osmosis as it appears in physics textbooks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA 01201, USA. ekramer@simons-rock.edu
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009995:Osmosis; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010944:Plants; D014867:Water / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014867:Water