CAPTION:So take a red blood cell and stick pure water on it ... the cell becomes rigid and is said to be turgid. In reverse then the membrane shrinks from the sides, making the cell go flaccid ...

Scientists have developed a way of assessing the ability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen by measuring their shape. This test could improve specialist transplant and transfusion practice as well ...

Osmosis refers to the movement of water molecules only. The slideshow shows an example of osmosis showing the direction of movement of water between two different concentrations of sugar solutions ...