Haggerty I

Cell analogy with dialysis tubing Osmosis lab

Brendan Haggerty
Honors Biology Period 5
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
4/25/2018
 Haggerty II

Introduction

Passive transport is the movement of molecules down a concentration gradient. It moves

from high to low concentration gradient and does not require cellular energy. (Active and passive

transport 1) A selectively permeable membrane is one that allows molecules or ions to pass

through using active or passive transport. (Arrington 1) Osmosis is the diffusion of molecules

and ions through a semipermeable membrane. (Britannica 1) There are three types of osmotic

environments isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic. Each of these environments are different ways

osmosis works. An isotonic environment is when the cell is equal, and has reached equilibrium,

there are and equal number of solutes inside and outside the cell. (Briers 3) A hypertonic

environment is when there is a higher concentration outside the cell and solutes will have to

move inside the cell. (Briers 3) A Hypotonic environment is when There a low concentration of

solutes outside the cell. (Briers 3) Both the hypertonic and the hypotonic environments will work

to reach equilibrium. Osmosis is important to understand because the heath of a living cell

depends on the number of solutes present inside and outside the cell. (Osmosis - Real-life

applications 1) A health cell is in an isotonic environment, health cells mean that there is a

healthy whole. Dialysis tubing within this lab is meant to represent a real-life cell. Dialysis

tubing is semi-permeable just like a real cell. The main purpose for this lab is understand and

learn about osmosis. Another purpose for this lab is to compare the effects of diffusion within a

simulated cell. The last main purpose for this lab is to see what substances can pass in and out of

the stimulated cell. Each bag will have either, tap water, 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% starch solution.

Then each baggie will be placed in an Isotonic, Hypotonic, or Hypertonic environment.

Depending on which environment the simulated cells will be put into, they will be put into

different solutions, and their semipermeable natures will try to reach equilibrium. The
 Haggerty III

independent variable for part one is the concentration of solutes, the dependent variable for part

one is the mass change. The mass change depends on the concentration of solutes present inside

and outside the simulated cell making it the dependent variable. The independent variable for

part two is the time the bag sits in the solution, and the dependent is the change in color of

iodine. The constants for part one was the number of solutes or water put into the beakers and the

baggies, the time kept in the beakers, and that they were dried off before being weighed. The

control group for part one was baggie number one because it was in an isotonic environment.

The experimental group for part one was all the other baggies that were in either a hypertonic or

hypotonic environment. The constants for part two was the same amount of time kept in the

beaker, the size of the baggie, same amount of iodine, and that all the measurements were

accurate. The control group for part two was the solution in the bag, the experimental group was

the solution in the beaker. Part one hypothesis, If you put the simulated cell in an isotonic

environment than there will be little mass change, if you put the simulated cell in a hypotonic

environment than there will be a mass increase because the solutes will be moving inside the

simulated cell, and if you put the simulated cell in a hypertonic environment than there will be a

mass decrease because the solutes will be moving outside of the cell. Part two hypothesis, If you

put a simulated cell with starch inside it, and water and iodine outside it, the water and iodine

will move inside the cell attempting to create an isotonic environment.

Materials

 Beakers (6)

 Glucose solution (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%)

 Haggerty IV

 Water solution

 Dialysis tubing

 Scale

 String

 Paper towels

 Timer

 Pipets

 Iodine

 Starch

 Graduated cylinders

Procedure

Part I

1. To start off obtain five pieces of dialysis tubing that was previously soaked in water. Then

make a one cm fold from the end and tie a knot at the fold with string. Reinforce the tie

with extra ties to make sure the substance does not leak. Then cut the excess string from

the tie. You will do this process for each of your five dialysis tubes.

2. Next, fill each dialysis tube with 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% starch solutions, and two with

water, this will give you six environments in total.

3. After all the tubing’s are filled close the tubes by folding from the end, make a one cm fold

like previously and tie it off.

 Haggerty V

4. Next, place each bag on a labeled paper towel to avoid confusion.

5. Using grams weigh each baggie and record its mass.

6. After that place each baggie in its individual beaker for three times, each time leave it in

the beaker for three minutes.

7. Next, you will need to weigh the baggies at the end of each of the three times, make sure

your bags are dried off and measured in grams. Record their masses after you weigh them.

Once you are done weighing the bag return it to its beaker.

8. Lastly, record the number for bag 1 only. The weights of bags 2-5 will be determined from

the averages of the masses. Once the averages are calculated enter them in the table.

Part II

1. First, obtain a baggie and fold one end of the bag, then a knot at the end with string and

cut any excess string from it.

2. Next, fill your tube about halfway full of starch solution.

3. Next, add one teaspoon of starch to the tubing and then fold at the end and tie a knot.

4. Then rinse the baggie off and dry, then set it aside for further use.

5. Next, fill a beaker half full of water and add 8 drops of Iodine. Place the model cell in the

iodine water. Fill out the starting color box in the chart.

6. After that remove the cell from the solution and dry it off.

7. Finally, record any color change within the beaker and fill out the section of the chart that

corresponds with color change.

 Haggerty VI

Results

Table 1: Simulated cell, mass changes

These numbers are the weights of the simulated cells in their respective beakers after changes of
time. They were weighed after being in the beakers for a series of three times, each time the
simulated cell was in the beaker for three minutes. Before being weighed the cell was taken out
of the beaker, dried off, and then it was weighed. All these masses are in milligrams. All these
are the class averages to make more accurate data findings.

Figure 1: Mass change vs. Time

The graph shows the rate of mass change, mass change vs time. The mass change was weighed
in milligrams.

The results of this experiment are represented by the graph and the table. The table shows the

changes is mass of the simulated cells in their respective beakers. The graph shows that rate of

change in mass during the amount of time given. In table one, water in water had a slight change
 Haggerty VII

in mass over a short period of time. The mass of the simulated cell fill with water, in a beaker

filled with water, went from 208 mgs to 291 mgs after six minutes of time. After an additional

three minutes of time water in water went from 291 mgs to 249 mgs. In figure one, water in

water is represented by the dark blue line and it shows how the mass increases and then

decreases. In table one, 20% in water’s mass exponentially increased at each time interval. The

simulated cell’s mass went from 317 mgs to 534 mgs and stopped at 701 mgs. In figure one the

orange bar represents the 20% in water solution and shows the exponential increase of mass

during the time allowed. In table one, 40% in waters mass changed from 408 to 800 and then to

1108 mgs at the end of each three-minute period. Figure one represents 40% in water with a grey

graph line and shows how the mass increased quickly over the slotted amount of time. In table

one, 60% in waters mass changed in extreme proportions. The mass went from 567 to 1009

to1409 mgs in nine minutes. Figure one represents 60% in water with a yellow line and shows

how the mass changed very fast in the tie given. In table one, water in 60%’s mass changed in a

different way from previous solutions. The mass went from -150 to 533 and then to -783 mgs.

This change in mass overtime is represented in figure one with a light blue line. Finally, in table

one, 80% in 60%s mass went from 241 to 316 and then to 399 mgs. Figure one represents this

solution with a green graphed line. In part two the tubing turned purple, the water color only

changed to a slight tint because of leakage.

Discussion

During this lab certain cells gained and lost weight for one main purpose, to reach equilibrium.

The simulated cells of this lab were placed in an isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic

environment. If a simulated cell was place in an isotonic it would have little to no mass change

because there was an equal number of solutes and water inside and outside the cell. If a
 Haggerty VIII

simulated cell was placed in a hypotonic environment it would gain weight because there were

too many solutes present outside the cell, so they would have to move inside. If a cell was placed

in a hypertonic environment than it would lose weight because there were too many solutes

present inside the cell. Water in water gained only a little weight and stayed around the same

mass, this is because this was an isotonic environment and was very close to equilibrium. 20% in

water gained weight because it was in a hypotonic environment, there was a higher concentration

of water outside the cell moving inside the cell. 40% in water gained weight fast because it too

was in a hypotonic environment, there was a higher concentration of water outside the cell. 60%

in water was the last cell in a hypotonic environment, there was more water moving inside the

cell, so it gained weight. Water in 60% was in a hypertonic environment which meant it lost

weight. There was a higher concentration of water inside the simulated cell, and it moved

outwards causing the loss in weight. 80% in 60% was in a hypotonic environment, there was a

higher concentration of water moving inside the cell making the cell gain some weight. The rate

of osmosis slows down as equilibrium is come closer too, this is because there is less movement

of solutes and water. Osmosis happens faster when there is a higher concentration moving to a

lower concentration gradient. This is because the solutes and water are moving fast to try and

become equal. Osmosis happens slower when a low concentration gradient is moving to a high

concentration gradient, because the exchange is not needing to happen as quickly because it is

closer to equilibrium. The 80/60% simulated cell did not gain as much weight from zero to three

minutes as the 20/0% cell because the 80/60% simulated cell was closer to equilibrium, so the

rate of osmosis was slower than the 20/0% simulated cell. In part two the inside of the simulated

cell turned blue because the iodine solution was moving inside the cell, because there were not

enough solutes present on the inside of the cell. The lab shows that the dialysis tubing was semi-
 Haggerty IX

permeable to water. Some sources of error could have been, different sized baggies and strings

which would have affected the weight, incorrect measurements with the liquids, not completely

drying off the baggies before weighing them, and spillage. One change that could be made to this

lab was to keep the baggies in the solution until they reach equilibrium for more accurate results.

References

Arrington, D. Selectively Permeable Membranes: Definition & Examples. Retrieved from

https://study.com/academy/lesson/selectively-permeable-membranes-definition-examples-

quiz.html

Briers, D. (2013, September 06). Difference between Hypertonic, Hypotonic, Isotonic Solutions.

Retrieved from http://www.dbriers.com/tutorials/2012/11/difference-between-hypertonic-

hypotonic-isotonic-solutions/

Britannica, T. E. (September 19, 2017). Osmosis. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/osmosis