Editorial Review

Kidney International (1982) 21, 303–308; doi:10.1038/ki.1982.22

Mechanism of osmosis

Fredrik Kiil1

1Oslo, Norway

Correspondence: Professor F Kiil, University of Oslo, Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Ulevaal Hospital, Oslo 1, Norway

Received 25 August 1980; Revised 2 February 1981.

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Abstract

Osmosis is a phenomenon of paramount significance for the transport of water and solutes through biological membranes. It accounts for fluid transport out of the kidney tubules and the gastrointestinal tract, into capillaries, and across cell membranes. The thermodynamic equations for osmosis are well established [1], but, despite the fundamental significance for biological fluid transport, an understanding of osmosis at the molecular level has been lacking.

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References

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