osmótico

Osmótico is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe phenomena, processes or substances related to osmosis. Osmosis is the spontaneous movement of a solvent, usually water, through a semipermeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration, driven by differences in chemical potential.

Osmotic pressure is the pressure that would need to be applied to a solution to stop the net flow of solvent across the membrane; it increases with solute concentration and temperature. In dilute solutions, osmotic effects are often described by osmolarity or osmolality, and concepts such as isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic describe the relationship between two solutions separated by a membrane.

Quantitatively, the van't Hoff equation π = i M R T provides a basic estimate of osmotic pressure for dilute solutions, where i is the ionization factor, M is molarity, R is the gas constant and T is the absolute temperature. These concepts are central to understanding how cells regulate water balance and how solutions interact with membranes.

Applications of osmótico phenomena span biology, medicine and industry. In biology, osmosis governs cell and tissue fluid balance. In medicine, osmotic considerations inform intravenous fluids and electrolyte management. In food technology, osmotic dehydration uses concentrated solutions to remove water from foods. In water treatment, reverse osmosis employs applied pressure to overcome osmotic pressure and purify water.