UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

CENTRE FOR FOUNDATION STUDIES

FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE
MAY 2016
FHSC1214
FUNDAMENTALS OF CELL BIOLOGY
TUTORIAL 9
CELL TRANSPORT II
Students Guide for Tutorial:
At university level, the tutor facilitates student learning without spoon-feeding.
Therefore, you are expected to:
Read your textbook, attempt the questions before the tutorial
You may enter the class and sign your attendance after showing your tutor that all

tutorial questions have been completed; even if you dont know how to do, write
something - youre not advised to leave answers blank in the finals.
Write answers on board if you wish to receive tutor feedback
(no answer, no feedback)
Be independent: consult textbooks or dictionaries on your own first before asking
the tutor
All questions are compulsory. 1 mark may reflect 1 answer point.
(No half mark is awarded in the finals marks)

Q1.

You are investigating the permeability of plasma membrane of mammalian cells

to two substances; substance A and substance B. These two substances are
fluorescent dyes that are commonly used to stain DNA. They will fluoresce once
they bind to DNA, hence enabling researchers to determine whether the substance
has in fact entered the cells. Figure 1 shows the results of the experiment. The
triangular and circular spots represent the area stained by substance A and
substance B respectively.

Untreated Cell

Cell treated with

Substance A

Cell treated with

Substance B
Figure 1

(a)

State the importance of including untreated cells in this experiment.

(1 mark)

(b)

Explain what do you understand about the phrase; The plasma membrane
is selectively permeable.
(1 mark)

(c)

From the results shown in Figure 1, the plasma membrane is more

permeable to which substance?
(1 mark)

Q2.

(d)

Based on your knowledge membrane transport, deduce the chemical

properties of the substance stated in (c) that may have contributed to its
permeability into the mammalian cell.
(2 marks)

(e)

Your friend argued that the results of your experiment are invalid. He
reasoned that nucleic acid is only constricted to nucleus. Provide TWO
reasons why his argument is incorrect.
(2 marks)

Figure 2 shows the mechanisms of glucose transport across Visking tube and
the membranes of two different cells; the gut epithelial cell and red blood cell.
The font size represents the relative concentrations across two sides of each
membrane with the larger font size representing a higher concentration of each
substance. The solid arrow indicates the direction of net movement of glucose
while the dotted arrow indicates the movement of sodium ions.

[Glu]

[Glu]

Visking tube

[Na+]

[Glu]

[Glu]

[Na+]

Gut epithelial cells

[Glu]

[Glu]

Red blood cells

Figure 2
(i)

State the specific mechanisms that are responsible for glucose transport in:

(A)

Visking tube

(B)

Gut epithelial cells

(C)

Red blood cells

(1 mark)
(1 mark)
(1 mark)
3

(ii)

Figure 3 shows the effect of the steepness of glucose concentration

gradient on the rate of glucose transport across the membranes of Visking
tube and red blood cells.
Rate of glucose transport

Visking
membrane

Red blood
cell

Concentration gradient
Figure 3
(A) Describe the influence of the steepness of concentration gradient
on the rate of glucose transport across Visking tube and the plasma
membrane of red blood cells.
(2
marks)

(B)Provide ONE reason for the trend of glucose transport across red
blood cell seen in Figure 3.
(1
mark)

Q3.

During plasma exchange, the liquid portion of the blood (plasma) is removed
from the donor. Then, the donor will be transfused (injected) with a fluid
composed of 1 part of 25% albumin with 4 parts of 0.9% sodium chloride
solution. Vincent is an intern pharmacist in a private hospital. Instead of diluting
the albumin with sodium-chloride, he dilutes them with sterile distilled water.
Within few hours, the donors become ill after being given the fluids prepared by
Vincent.

Figure 4
Figure 4 shows the appearances of red blood cells in solutions A, B and

C.

(i)

Which of the three solutions in Figure 3.3 best represents the

condition of the donors blood that received fluid prepared by
professional laboratory technicians?
(1 mark)

(ii)

Which of the three solutions in Figure 3.3 best represents the

condition of the donors blood that received fluid prepared by
Vincent?
(1 mark)

(iii)

Observe the appearance of the red blood cells in the test tube that
you have chosen as your answer in Part (ii). What is the term that
biologists use to describe this phenomenon?
(1 mark)

(iv)

Briefly explain why the transfusion of the fluid prepared by

Vincent would lead to the phenomenon as described in Part (iii)?
(3 marks)

Q4.

Figure 5 shows the fluid mosaic model of a cell membrane structure.

Figure 5
(a)

Name the structure labelled P, Q and R.

(3 marks)

(b)

Explain why this model is known as fluid mosaic.

(2 marks)

(c)

State TWO (2) reasons why phospholipid areas in the membrane are
important to its functions.
(2 marks)

Q5

Eight samples of red blood cells were placed in glucose solutions of different
concentrations. After 90 minutes, each sample was examined to determine the
percentage of cells that had swollen and lysed. The results are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6
(a) With reference to water potential, explain why most of the cells burst when
placed in 0.05 mol dm-3 glucose solution.
(4
marks)

(b) Suggest what would happen if red blood cells were placed in a 0.1 mol dm -3
glucose solution and briefly explain the process behind this. (5 marks)