What is the difference between osmosis and diffusion ? How does diffusion use concentration gradients ?

Step-by-step explanation

Osmosis is the process of moving solvent molecules from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution over a semipermeable membrane. For example, red blood cells expand up when introduced to freshwater, and plant root hairs take up water, the solvent moves to dilute the concentrated solution and equalize the concentration on both sides of the membrane. Diffusion on the other hand is the migration of particles from a high-concentration area to a low-concentration area. The main result is to equalize concentration throughout the medium, such as a room filled with scent or small molecules moving across a cell membrane.

The concentration gradient is the differential in a substance's concentration between two regions. The higher the concentration gradient and the faster the molecules of a substance disperse, the greater the difference. Gradients enable molecules to travel from a high-concentration location to a low-concentration area across membranes. Diffusion comes to an end once the concentration of the material in both locations is the same. This isn't to say that component particles aren't flowing; it only means that there isn't any general movement in one direction. Substance particles are evenly traveling in both ways.