Another passive process is osmosis. This is the process by which water crosses a cell membrane either into or out of the cell, but always into the solution that has the higher total concentration of solutes. Dr Aziz.
The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture. These buttresses act to spread the weight of the tall walls. They support the structure by transferring force directly to the ground. The flying buttress was not just practical, though.
At the technical level Gothic architecture is characterized by the ribbed vault (a vault in which stone ribs carry the vaulted surface), the pointed arch, and the flying buttress (normally a half arch carrying the thrust of a roof or vault across an aisle to an outer pier or buttress).