Question

What is the direction of the movement of water if two cells have the same osmotic pressure but differ in turgor pressure?
A. No net flow
B. From lower turgor pressure to higher turgor pressure
C. From higher turgor pressure to lower turgor pressure
D. Data insufficient

Answer 1

Hint: Turgor pressure is the pressure developed inside that cell and is opposite to the pressure created due to osmosis or the osmotic pressure. It is the pressure exerted by the cell wall of the cell when it is turgid.

Complete answer: Osmotic pressure is the ability or water to move across a region of high water concentration to that of low water concentration or it is the pressure created due to the flow of the osmosis.
1. Turgor pressure is the opposite of osmotic pressure and is said to be zero for a flaccid cell. 2. DPD or diffusion pressure deficit is calculated by the difference between osmotic pressure and turgor pressure.
3. It is observed that for two cells that have the same osmotic pressure, water will move from a region of high turgor pressure to a region of low turgor pressure just like the movement of DPD.
4. This is because the water concentration inside a cell with high turgor pressure will be more than that or less turgor pressure.

Hence, the correct option is (C), from higher turgor pressure to lower turgor pressure.

Note: When though the osmotic pressure of two cells is the same, it is the turgor pressure which acts as the driving force for the movement of water in the two cells. A turgid cell has more turgor pressure and so the movement of water is from a cell having higher turgor pressure to the one with know turgor pressure.