Question

Osmotic potential is depicted as
a) $-$
b) $+$
c) $\times$
d) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint:- The osmotic pressure is the pressure which is applied by the solution to prevent the inward motion of the pure solvent from the semi-permeable membrane or we can also say that the liquid tends to take in a pure solvent in across the semipermeable membrane by the process of osmosis.

Complete Answer:-
The osmotic potential is also called as solute potential in plants. It is mostly negative in the plants and is zero when checked in distilled water. The potential energy in the water gets reduced due to the solutes which reduce the water potential. Solutes can dissolve in the water due to the binding of the hydrogen bonds. The amount of the potential energy of the water gets reduced when solutes are added to them. This results in the decreasing of the osmotic potential as there is an increase in the solute concentration. The cytoplasm of the cell has high solute concentration present which leads to a high negative value of the solute potential in the plant cell. This difference in the concentration leads to the movement of the water from the soil into the roots of the plant. This occurs by the process of osmosis. Hence, the name osmotic potential.

So, the answer is ‘$-$’.

Note:- The osmotic potential is the amount of decrease in the potential of the water when the solutes are added to it. This decrease in potential is directly proportional to the amount of solute added to the water. The osmotic potential acts opposite to the turgor pressure.