What describes the passive transport of water across a selectively permeable membrane?

Osmosis specifically describes the passive transport of water across a selectively permeable membrane. This process involves the movement of water molecules from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration, effectively equalizing solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane. It occurs without the input of energy, which aligns with the characteristics of passive transport. The selectively permeable membrane allows water to pass through while restricting the movement of certain solutes, making osmosis a crucial process in maintaining cellular homeostasis and proper hydration levels in organisms.

In contrast, facilitated diffusion is a type of passive transport for primarily ions and polar molecules, using carrier proteins, but it does not specifically pertain to water. General diffusion describes the movement of solutes rather than water specifically. Bulk transport refers to active methods of transporting large quantities of materials into or out of cells, which does not apply to the passive transport mechanism described in this context.