What are 'aquaporins'? How does the presence of aquaporins affect osmosis?

(N/A) $\Rightarrow$ Aquaporins are integral membrane proteins that act as channels in the cell membrane. They facilitate the rapid transport of water molecules across the membrane.
$\Rightarrow$ The presence of aquaporins significantly increases the rate of osmosis. While water can move slowly through the lipid bilayer by simple diffusion,aquaporins provide a specialized pathway that allows water to move much faster,effectively acting as a 'plumbing system' for the cell to regulate water movement selectively.