The substance that can move across a barrier by osmosis is water. Osmosis is specifically the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. This process occurs because water molecules are small and electrically neutral, allowing them to pass through the membrane, whereas larger or charged solutes cannot. Thus, in osmosis, it is the solvent water that moves across the barrier to equalize solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane.