Osmogenesis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which osmotic pressure is produced and built up inside a living cell or organism
2. The formation of osmotic force within biological tissues through the movement of solutes and water across membranes
3. The development of osmotic pressure in a cell, driven by differences in solute concentration on either side of a membrane

Etymology: In Greek, "osmos" meant "a push" or "impulse," from the verb "ōthein," "to push." The scientific sense of pressure driving fluid across a membrane was built on that original meaning. Ancient Greek speakers had no such concept, so the term is a modern coinage made from classical parts. The second element, "genesis," comes from Greek "genesis," meaning "origin" or "coming into being." Put together, the compound describes pressure that builds up and originates from osmotic forces, where water moves across a barrier toward a more concentrated solution. The parts are transparent, so the term reads as a literal description of what it names.