Final answer:
Osmosis can prevent garden pests by dehydrating them through a hypertonic environment. It can also preserve food by increasing osmotic pressure to prevent bacterial growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Osmosis can be used to prevent garden pests by creating a hypertonic environment that dehydrates and kills the pests. For example, placing a cucumber in a concentrated salt solution causes osmosis to occur, resulting in water loss and turning the cucumber into a pickle. Osmosis can also be used to preserve food by increasing osmotic pressure, which dehydrates bacteria and prevents their growth. High concentrations of sugar in jams and jellies, and salt in preserved meats, increase osmotic pressure and make the environment inhospitable for bacteria.