What process involves the passage of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from lesser to greater concentration?

The correct answer, osmosis, refers to the specific movement of solvent molecules across a semipermeable membrane. This process occurs from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. The semipermeable membrane allows the solvent to pass through while preventing the larger solute particles from crossing.

Osmosis is essential in many biological and chemical processes, such as maintaining cell turgor in plants and influencing the distribution of nutrients and waste products in biological systems. Understanding this process is important in contexts like tissue preservation in funeral service, where the balance of fluids within cells can impact their condition after death.

In contrast, dilution pertains to the reduction of the concentration of a solute in a solution, typically by adding more solvent, but it does not specifically address the movement through membranes. Diffusion involves the movement of solute particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration and does not specifically refer to solvent movement. Filtration is a process that physically separates particles from liquids or gases using a filter but, again, is not related to the movement through a semipermeable membrane based on concentration gradients.