Osmosis drives water from hypotonic to hypertonic regions

Steps:

• Identify solute concentrations in each cell; higher solute means hypertonic, lower means hypotonic.
• Water moves across semipermeable membranes from areas of higher water potential (low solute) to lower water potential (high solute).
• Trace net flow directions between adjacent cells based on their relative concentrations.
• Select diagram matching flows toward highest solute cell.

Why A is correct:

• Arrows show water entering hypertonic cell from surrounding hypotonic ones, per osmosis definition of net movement down water potential gradient.

Why the others are wrong:

• B reverses flows, ignoring hypotonic-to-hypertonic direction.
• C shows bidirectional or no net flow, contradicting concentration gradients.
• D directs water away from hypertonic cell, violating osmosis law.

Final answer: A