text: The biomedical importance of the process of diffusion through a colloidal medium is that it a means of passive transport in cells, that means there is no energy expenditure in the transport of matter from higher to lower concentration or from higher to lower concentration.\n\nFollowing should explain things to you...\n\n\nThe cell will gain water and grow larger. In plant cells, the central vacuoles will fill and the plant becomes stiff and rigid, the cell wall keeps the plant from bursting\n\nIn animal cells, the cell may be in danger of bursting, organelles called CONTRACTILE VACUOLES will pump water out of the cell to prevent this. \n\n\nIn plant cells, the central vacuole loses water and the cells shrink, causing wilting.\n\nIn animal cells, the cells also shrink.\n\nIn both cases, the cell may die.\n\nThis is why it is dangerous to drink sea water - its a myth that drinking sea water will cause you to go insane, but people marooned at sea will speed up dehydration (and death) by drinking sea water. \n\nThis is also why "salting fields" was a common tactic during war, it would kill the crops in the field, thus causing food shortages.