Name(s)_ Jaime____________ Period____6___

You make work alone or with a partner.

Diffusion and Plasmolysis of Cells
Diffusion
is the process of moving particles from an area of high concentration to an
area of low concentration. In cells, we need to diffuse food into our cells and wastes
out. Cells are vulnerable to the external environment. One of the things that our cells
are particularly vulnerable to is the loss of water. Cells can shrink in size through a
process called
plasmolysis
. Plasmolysis can cause dehydration. Dehydration is
dangerous and being chronically dehydrated (going for a long time on not enough
water) can cause our immune system to slow down and make us more prone to
illness.
In this lab we will and think about some ways in which we cause our cells to go
through plasmolysis.
PLEASE TYPE YOUR ANSWERS IN A DIFFERENT COLOR
Hypotheses
:
A. Predict whether glucose, starch and iodine are able to cross a simulated
semipermeable membrane by diffusion
Molecule
Glucose
Starch

Iodine

Can it Cross a Membrane by diffusion?

(yes or no)
Glucose could maybe cross a membrane
by diffusion because it has a small size
I think that Starch would not be able to fit
through a membrane because it is bigger
than glucose and i think that it would be
too big to go through a membrane.
I think that Iodine would be able to go
through a membrane by diffusion
because it is an element

B. Cell Simulation Activity. Predict what will happen to the weight of each cell
Cell
One (cellular fluid inside, soda outside)

Two (soda inside, cellular fluid outside)

Weight (Go up, down ,stay the same)

I think that the weight will go up because
the cellular fluid from the inside will
extract the water from the soda on the
outside
Im predicting that the weight will stay
the same because the soda wouldn't be
able to extract the fluid to the inside.

Background Questions
:
1. What is the difference between osmosis, diffusion and facilitated diffusion?
Osmosis is the movement of water to equalize the solute concentrate.
Diffusion is the movement of molecules from higher to lower concentration
until the equilibrium is met.

facilitated diffusion is the pass through of carrier or channel proteins in

the membrane, and their movement is facilitated by a protein. Molecules
moving down their concentration gradient.

2. Explain what would happen to a cell if it were placed into a hypertonic solution
and then into a hypotonic solution?
In a hypotonic solution, water will move

from outside to the inside of the cell across its membrane. When this happens,
water will flow out of the cell and into the solution. This will continue until the
concentrations are balanced, the cell dehydrates and collapses or the
organelles in the cell exert energy to pump water back into the cell.
3. What does Benedicts solution test for? How would you use Benedicts
solution?
Used to test for simple sugars like glucose. You would best use
benedict's solution to test for sugars in cells.
4. What is dialysis tubing?
Dialysis tubing, is a type of semi-permeable
membrane tubing used in separation techniques that facilitates the removal or
exchange of small molecules from macromolecules in solution based on
differential diffusion.

Procedure
:
A. Diffusion through a Membrane
:
1. Obtain a small plastic cup. Go to the counter and put three droppers full of
starch and three droppers full of glucose into the cup.
2. Set up a dialysis tubing Cell like the one Ms. V demonstrated.
3. Fill the tubing cell with three droppers full of iodine. Tie the top of the bag
closed.
4. Rinse the cell bag under running water.
5. Make an initial observation in the date table 1.Record your observations for
the color of the cup solution and the color of the bag under 0 minutes.
6. Check the bag and the cup every 10 minutes for 30 minutes and record your
observations in the data table.
7. After your last observation at 30 minutes, take out the bag and cut the top off.
Pour the contents of the bag into a test tube.

8. Add 15 drops of Benedicts solution to the tube. Place the tube in a boiling
water bath and watch for a color change to orange for a positive glucose test.
IF THE TUBE IS ANY OTHER COLOR THAN ORANGE, THE RESULT IS
NEGATIVE. Record the results in cell membrane data table 1.
9. Record the results of the glucose test.
10. CLEAN ALL THE GLASSWARE AND THROW ALL YOUR TRASH AWAY.
CLEAN UP YOUR LAB AREA.
B. Cell Simulation
1. Go to the front of the room and make two cells from the dialysis tubing in the
beaker marked Cell Membranes.
2. Tie one end of the cell off with
string and fill the inside of cell number 1 with 3
droppers full of fluid from the beaker marked Cellular Fluid.
3. Tie off the other end of the cell.
4. Measure the weight of the cell on the balance. Record the weight of the bag in
data table 2.
5. Record the color of the cellular fluid in the cell in the data table.
6. Place the cell into a clean plastic cup.
7. Fill the cup with just enough soda to cover the cell.
8. For cell number two, put three droppers full of soda into the cell bag and tie it
off securely.
9. Weigh cell number two on the balance and record its weight in data table 2.
10. Place cell two in a plastic cup and this time cover the cell with just enough
cellular fluid solution.
11. Let the bags sit in the cups for 25 minutes.
12. While you are waiting, do the Plasmolysis demonstration below.
13. After 25 minutes, remove the bags from the cup and dry it off with paper
towel.
14. Record the color of the fluid in the bags and the color of the fluids in the cups.
15. Weigh the cells on the balance and record the weights in data table 2.
16. Wash out the cup and put it away and throw the cell away in the trash.
17. Answer your hypothesis based on your observations and data in your
conclusion.
C. Plasmolysis Demonstration
1. Get a small piece of red onion skin.
MAKE SURE ITS FROM THE RED SIDE
NOT THE CLEAR SIDE.
2. Place the skin onto a clean slide. Make a wet mount slide out of the onion and
add a cover slip.
3. Using good microscope technique, focus the slide on scanning power.
4. Switch to low power and sharpen the focus.
5. Switch to high power and observe two or three onion cells.
6. Draw the two or three cells on white paper and be sure to include the red
portion of the cell membrane in your drawing.
7. Remove the cover slip from the slide.
8. Take the slide to the front and add a drop of saltwater to the onion.

9. Replace the cover slip and let the slide sit for 5 minutes.
10. After 5 minutes, re-focus the slide and find three cells on high power.
11. Draw two or three cells on high power. Be sure to draw the red cell
membranes and where they are located on the cell. Go to the data section and
write a description that details the effects of plasmolysis you observed on
onion cells.
12. Clean up your slide.
PUT THE ONION SKIN IN THE TRASH, NOT THE SINK.
WASH AND DRY YOUR SLIDE BEFORE YOU PUT IT AWAY
.
Data and Observations
:
Data Table 1: Diffusion through a Membrane
Time (min)

Color of the Cup Solution

A darker color (it was white

now a little grayish purple)
Its really purple on the
bottom and in the glucose
and starch is dark purple
with some orange.
the water is becoming
more transparent and the
purple is becoming to
settle on bottom and
orangeish transparent
color on top
Almost all orangish/clear
on top with some red on it
and a little lighter on
bottom.
Test Tube Color:
Orange (not really
transparent)

10

20

30

Glucose Test Result

Color of the Bag (inside

the bag)
It is still the same color
(blackish)
Its still brown

The bag is still brown

dark orange/brown

Data Table 2: Cell Simulation

Cell One
(fluid inside,
soda outside)
Cell Two(soda
inside, cell
fluid outside)

Initial Weight
(g)

Final Weight
(g)

7.43 G

6.89 G

7.13 G

8.21 G

Initial Color of
Cellular Fluid
Clear

Final Color of
Cellular Fluid
same color as
before

Clearish white

same color as
before

Plasmolysis Demonstration
: In the space below, describe the differences you saw
between the red onion cell membrane in freshwater versus the red onion cell
membrane in salt water:
Analysis
:
1. Which of the molecules in the diffusion experiment were able to go through the
membrane? Explain why these were able to cross.
im not quite sure, we had
to repeat this lab a bunch of times and didnt really do it right.
2. Which of the molecules in the diffusion experiment were not able to go
through the membrane? Explain why these could not cross.
im not quite sure,
we had to repeat this lab a bunch of times and didnt really do it right.
3. What type of solution was the soda compared to the cellular fluid? (isotonic,
hypotonic or hypertonic?) How do you know?
The soda would be compared to
hypertonic because the concentration in the soda goes from high to low when
mixed in with cellular fluid.
4. Why is dehydration through plasmolysis dangerous for cells (look at your onion
cells
?
5. What will happen to your cells if you drink lots of soda or sugary drinks and
not much else?
The main function of the hormone cell insulin, is to drive
glucose from the bloodstream to cells. But when you drink sugary drinks or
soda, the cells tend to become resistant to the effects of insulin. When this
happens, the pancreas must make more insulin to remove the glucose from
the bloodstream, so insulin levels in the blood go up.
6. What effect does plasmolysis have on your kidneys? (Youll need to look this
up). (
Couldnt find this anywhere)
Conclusion
: Re-state your hypotheses for activity A and B. Were your predictions
correct? Explain why understanding diffusion is important when talking about living
things.