Germinating seeds absorb water and activate the protoplasmic materials including enzymes. This mechanism is an example of imbibition. The process by which the hydrophilic colloid swells when brought in contact with water is known as imbibition.

The process of selective transmission of a solvent in preference to a solute that takes place through a semipermeable membrane when two solutions of different concentrations are separated by it is called osmosis. It is classified into two types i.e., exosmosis and endosmosis. Endosmosis is the movement of the water inside the cells when the cell is placed in a hypotonic solution.

The process of selective transmission of a solvent in preference to a solute that takes place through a semipermeable membrane when two solutions of different concentrations are separated by it is called osmosis. It is classified into two types i.e., exosmosis and endosmosis. The movement of water outside the cells when a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution is called exosmosis.