Homework Help... Is this a trick question?

[Funkfruit]

Okay so this might be a really stupid question to all of you smart biological people out there but one of the questions in the lesson that I am currently working on in AP Biology is "Is it true that solute sucks water?" and at first, I immediately thought that the answer was yes because the solute is being dissolved into the solvent (which in this case I am guessing is water) but after having thought about it for a moment, I'm starting to wonder if thats a trick question. Just because it is being dissolved by the solvent would that necessarily mean that the solute was sucking the solvent (water)? I have searched through the entire chapter for this lesson multiple times and it didnt mention solutes sucking water anywhere but I'm still not sure whether or not that makes it true or false... anyone think they might be able to shine a little light on me? Any help is very much appreciated.

[jonmoulton]

OK, solute sucks water. I can argue for that. A pressure differential causes stuff to move. There is a difference in osmotic pressure between a high-solute region and a low-solute region; water moves in response. Water moves toward the high-solute region along the osmotic pressure gradient. That's close enough for me, I can say "solute sucks the water" with a straight face. However, your instructor might argue that low-solute regions are blowing the water out...

[mith]