Why doesn’t amoeba burst when put in water?

Introduction: What is an amoeba?

An amoeba is a single-celled organism that belongs to the phylum protozoa. It is a very simple organism, lacking in specialized organs, tissues, and organ systems. Despite this simplicity, amoebas have impressive abilities to adapt to their environment, move around, and carry out basic life functions like reproduction and metabolism. One of the most remarkable features of amoebas is their ability to regulate their water content and avoid bursting, even when placed in water.

The science of osmosis: How water moves in and out of cells

To understand why amoebas don’t burst in water, we need to first understand the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration, in response to differences in solute concentration. When there is more solute on one side of the membrane than the other, water will move from the side with more water to the side with less water until equilibrium is reached. This movement of water can have significant effects on living cells, as too much or too little water can cause cells to burst or shrink.