The selective passage of liquids through a semipermeable membrane in a direction which tends to make concentrations of all substances on one side of the membrane equal to those on the other side. The semipermeable membrane allows the passage of water but prevents the passage of substances dissolved in the water. The water movement is from the more dilute solution toward the more concentrated solution, and will continue until the two solutions are equal in concentration. If pressure is applied to the more concentrated side, the flow of water will reverse, from the concentrated side to the more dilute side, a condition termed Reverse Osmosis.
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