In a hypertonic solution, water flows through aquaporins embedded in the plasma membrane of the cell. This type of transport is best known as which of the following?

In a hypertonic solution, water moves out of the cell through aquaporins due to the higher solute concentration outside the cell. This process is known as osmosis, which involves the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration. Osmosis is a passive process, meaning it does not require energy input. Active transport, on the other hand, requires energy to move substances across a membrane. Diffusion is the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to low concentration without the involvement of aquaporins. Facilitated diffusion, while also passive, requires specific carrier proteins for transport but does not involve the movement of water as seen in osmosis.