What process facilitates the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane?

The process that facilitates the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane is osmosis. This is a specific type of passive transport that involves the diffusion of water molecules from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration, through the selectively permeable membrane.

In the context of cellular function, osmosis is crucial because it helps maintain the balance of fluids within and outside of cells, which is essential for various physiological processes. The selectively permeable membrane allows water molecules to pass through while restricting the movement of certain solutes, thereby creating a gradient that drives the movement of water. This dynamic is critical for maintaining homeostasis in living organisms.

Active transport, on the other hand, requires energy to move substances against their concentration gradient, which is not the case for osmosis. Diffusion refers to the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration and is not specific to water. Facilitated diffusion is a form of passive transport that involves specific transport proteins to move larger or polar molecules across a membrane, not specifically water. Therefore, the correct identification of osmosis highlights its role in water movement across cell membranes.