Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 1

Diffusion Through Cell Membrane

Carter Schade
Honors Biology 10 Period 3
North Catholic High School
16 April 2019

Introduction
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 2

Passive Transport is the movement of molecules across a membrane without using any

type of energy. Also, selective permeable means that only certain things are allowed to flow

through while other things cannot. (Passive Transport, 2019) Osmosis is said to be the

movement through a selectively permeable membrane of water molecules from a region with

high water concentration to low concentration. A hypertonic environment is said to be a place

where there is a higher concentration of dissolved salt on the outside of the cell. On the other

hand, a hypotonic environment is an environment that contains less solute and more water than

any other solution. (Hypertonic and Hypotonic Enviroments, n.d.) Osmosis is said to have a

numerous amount of life preserving functions that happen nearly every day. It helps the

preservation of meats and fruits, helps with the reception of water and believe it or not is relied

on in Kidney dialysis. Also, Osmosis has the ability of being reversed to remove other impurities

from water and to take away salt. (Osmosis, 2019) Dialysis Tubing is said to be a semi-

permeable membrane and tends to be made of a substance known as cellulose acetate. The

purpose Dialysis tubing supports the purpose of showing the movement of water out and into a

cell based on the osmotic environment it is in. (Sigma-Aldrich, n.d.) For Part I of the experiment

we are comparing the effects of diffusion with different bags placed in specific environments to

get specific results. In Part II of the lab we are experimenting and trying to determine which

specific substances are capable of being able to pass in or out of a model cell. Also, it will be

determined as to why these substances act this way or why they fail or pass as to whether they

are capable of passing through or not. Beaker 1 represents a simulated cell in an isotonic

environment. In Beaker 2 we see that a hypotonic environment in a simulated cell. Beaker 3

represents a simulated cell in a hypotonic environment. Beaker 4 also represents a simulated cell

in a hypotonic environment. Beaker 5 is going to represent a simulated cell but in a hypertonic

environment. Beaker 6 represents a simulated cell in a hypotonic environment. (Diffusion

Through Cell Membranes ) The dependent variable in Part I was the mass of the bag and the
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 3

Independent variable was the gradients concentration which were also known as the liquids. The

dependent variable for Part II was the color that was inside of the bag and the independent

variable was the element that was added to the beaker. The constants for part I were the

measurements and the control group were the water in the bag and water in the beaker but the

experimental was beakers two too six for Part I. (Diffusion Through Cell Membranes ) The

constants for Part II are, the mass of the bag, amount of water in the bag, and how long the bags

were dropped in water. For Part I of this experiment, if the environment is in an isotonic stage

then the bag will relatively stay the same mass. For Part II in this experiment, if the environment

is hypotonic then the bag is will change mass for a good amount. (Diffusion Through Cell

Membranes )

Materials

- Paper Towels

- Iodine

- 200 mL water

- 5 mL water

- Scale (g)

- 200 mL of tap water

- 200 mL 60% Glucose

- 6 250 mL Beakers

- 5 mL of 80% Starch Solution

- 10 mL tap water
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 4

- 5 mL 60% Starch Solution

- 5 mL 40% Starch Solution

- 5 mL 20% Starch Solution

- 5 mL tap water

- String

- Water

- 7 Bags of Dialysis Tubing

Procedures

Part I

1. Get 5 pieces of the dialysis tubing which has already been soaked enough in water. The

you are to fold one end over the other approximately 1 cm from the end and tie a knot

around the end that is open to prevent leaking. Tie with string. After the knot is tight and

ready, you are to tie more knots to make sure the bag will absolutely not leak. Cut excess

string that is not needed

2. Fill Bag 1 with 5 mL full of tap water. Fill Bag 2, 5 mL full of 20% Starch Solution. Fill

Bag 3, 5 mL full of 40% Starch Solution. Fill Bag 4, 5 mL full of 60% Starch Solution.

Fill Bag 5, 5 mL full of tap water. Fill Bag 6, 5 mL full of 80% Starch Solution.

3. After each bag is carefully filled, folded, closed and tied on the open end of each bag.

Make sure it is tight enough to prevent leakage but not to the point where it is stretched

tight. Key point to remember that the “cells” do have a possibility of expanding, losing

weight, or swelling. Place each bag on a numbered towel to prevent confusion and to be

organized.
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 5

4. Get the mass of each bag by it self with a glass weighing dish. Record the beginning

masses.

5. Place bags in proper beaker set up.

6. At the end of 5, 10, and 15-minute periods, take bags out of the beakers, dry off the

remaining water, and precisely weigh each bag to the nearest gram. Before that, place it

in a glass weighing dish! Then you shall record the new masses. When done with

recording masses, place bags back into beakers at the same time and make sure not to

mix up bags.

7. You are allowed to record Bag 1 mass in Table 1. But, bags two through six will be

determined from averages calculated in class. After everything is calculated and good

then you can enter their masses into the table. (Lab Manual, 2019)

Part II

1. For the second time, fold one end of the tubing dialysis over and tie a knot. Tie more

knots if needed and cut remaining string 2 cm from the ends.

2. Fill the tubing half full of the Starch Solution.

3. Then add close to 1 teaspoon of starch solution to the tube. Fold other end then proceed

to tie a knot to prevent leakage.

4. Rinse the bag you have made with water to ensure that all spills have been cleaned. Dry

with a paper towel then set it aside for a minute.

5. Next, fill up a beaker with 200 mL of water and proceed on to adding 20 drops of Iodine.

Place the cell in the Iodine filled water. Fill out the initial color of the cell and the beaker

on a piece of paper.
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 6

6. After 15-minute time period, remove the cell and pat dry.

7. Next, note any change in color of the beaker. Fill out the final section of your chart to

determine color change. (Lab Manual, 2019)

Results

In Bag 1 the beginning mass was 5.4 grams then after 5 minutes, the mass went up to 6.0

grams which means it had a change of +0.6. Then after 10 minutes, the mass for bag 1 was 5.8

grams with a change of -0.2 and after 15 minutes the mass was 5.9 grams with a +.1 change.

Then the mass after 20 minutes was 6.2 grams with a change of +.3. In Bag 2 the starting mass

was 5.7 grams then after 5 minutes, the mass went down to 4.6 with a change of -1.1, then after

10 minutes the mass was 4.4 grams which means it had a change of -0.2. The mass after 15

minutes is 4.5 grams which has a mass change of +.1 then after 20 minutes the mass was 4.3

grams with a -.2 change. In Bag 3 the beginning mass was 5.7 grams, then after 5 minutes it was

6.2 grams which had a change of +0.5, after 10 minutes the mass was 6.2 grams which had no

change at all. After 15 minutes the mass went up to 6.8 grams which had a +0.6 change then

after 20 minutes the mass went down to 6.4 grams which had a change of -.4. In Bag 4 the

beginning mass was 6.2 and after 5 minutes the mass was 6.8 which had a change of +0.4 then

after 10 minutes it went up to 6.9 grams with a +0.1 change. Then after 15 minutes the mass

went up to 7.5 grams with a +0.6 change, and after 20 minutes the mass went up to 7.3 grams

-0.2 change. In Bag 5 the beginning mass was 5.1 grams then the mass stayed the same after 5

minutes which means there was no change. After 10 minutes, it dropped down to 4.8 grams with

a change of -0.3 and after 15 minutes it went down to 4.6 grams with a -0.2 change. The final

mass after 20 minutes was 4.8 grams with a +0.2 change. In Bag 6 the beginning mass it was 6.4

grams then after 5 minutes there was a +0.9 change up to 7.3 grams, and after 10 minutes the
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 7

mass was 7.1 grams with a -0.2 change. After 15 minutes the mass was 7.5 grams which was a

change of +0.4 after 20 minutes the mass was 7.9 grams with a change of +0.4.

Bag 1 Bag 2 Bag 3 Bag 4 Bag 5 Bag 6

Beginning 5.4 5.7 5.7 6.2 5.1 6.4

Mass

Mass After 6.0 4.6 6.2 6.8 5.1 7.3

5 min.

5 min. mass +0.6 -1.1 +0.5 +0.4 NO +0.9

change (+ CHANGE

or -)

Mass after 5.8 4.4 6.2 6.9 4.8 7.1

10 min.
10 min. -0.2 -0.2 NO +0.1 -0.3 -0.2

mass change CHANGE

(+ or -)
Mass after 5.9 4.5 6.8 7.5 4.6 7.5

15 min.
15 min. mas +0.1 +0.1 +0.6 +0.6 -0.2 +0.4

change

(+ or -)
Mass after 6.2 4.3 6.4 7.3 4.8 7.9

20 min.
20 min. +0.3 -0.2 -0.4 -0.2 +0.2 +0.4
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 8

mass change

(+ or -)
The information in this table shows the mass changes after each bag was placed into a specific
beaker. After every period of time, the bags would be taken out and weighed every time then
recorded on the paper.

Grams vs. Minutes

7

5 Bag 1
Mass (Grams)

Bag 2
4
Bag 3
3 Bag 4
Bag 5
2
Bag 6
1

0
0 5 10 15 20
Time (Min)

Grams vs. Minutes and the Mass Changes

This line graph shows the mass changes in grams and the amount of time it took. For each it
took a certain amount of time and it was represented by time on the bottom and mass on the side.
Starting Color Color after 15 Minutes
Solution in Dialysis Bag White Purple
Solution in Beaker Yellow Clear
This data is for the cell and the solution in the dialysis bag was white and the solution int the
beaker was yellow. The color after 15 minutes for the dialysis bag was purple and the beaker
was clear.
Discussion

Certain bags were caused to lose or gain weight because of the diffusion process and the

substances or solutions reacted to it which can cause a change, sometimes dramatic and

sometimes small. Yes, because the bags that were in a hypotonic environment increased in mass

and that is what was expected and a hypertonic environment, the bags were supposed to decrease

in mass. As the bags kept on getting closer to the equilibrium, the rate of osmosis began to level

off and become flat. This all would happen because the bags would keep on getting closer to the
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 9

point of an isotonic environment so the transportation of large amounts of water was not needed.

The data stated shows that with the bags that were recognized as hypotonic environment. Bag 5

was expected lose mass because it was placed in a hypertonic environment which would have

done the opposite and pull water out instead of taking it in. The rate of osmosis decreases and

increases based on the concentration gradient. When the gradient is a higher concentration then

the rate of osmosis will increase because of the fact of more water needing to be moved around

so it will help the cell to try and reach the equilibrium. A gradient of lower concentration does

not require much water movement so that leads to the rate of osmosis not increasing

dramatically. In Part II of the lab, the inside of the simulated cell turned purple because the

Iodine was able to move throughout the dialysis tubing and react with the starch. When the

inside of the bag turned blue then then the solution outside of the beaker turned to the color clear,

in all, the dialysis tubing is permeable to Iodine but not to the Starch. There were multiple

sources of error that could have been possible in this lab. The beakers could not have been clean

or could have the chance of getting mixed up allowing the fact of cross contamination making

the whole experiment incorrect. Also, the bags may have not been tied tightly enough to allow

solution to not leak so the substance could leak into the beaker and then that would affect the

mass. Another possible area where it could have affected the experiment, is the measurement

parts and getting those wrong by putting too much or too little which would change the mass

completely. Also, when using the pipets, people could have put back pipets in the wrong

solution that it started at which would lead to misinformation and the same as another solution.

The test could be improved by taking maybe one or two more bags and doing two of the same

solutions already used to ensure that results are correct.

Conclusion
 Diffusion Through Cell Membrane 10

In conclusion, both part of the lab turned out to be successful. In class, the first part of

the lab made us discovered that when the dialysis was placed in different beakers with different

liquids lead to the bags swell up and that would make the mass increase. The dialysis tubing that

did not swell and got smaller because the solution mixed with dialysis tubing made it decrease in

mass because it would affect the solution to make it decrease. In Part II of the mass, the class

proceeded to put twenty drops of Iodine in the beakers and then the dialysis tubing back with the

starch. The dialysis tubing started off as clear and then turned purple after twenty minutes of

being in the solution. The next beaker that was tested started out as a yellow color then turned

clear after 15 minutes of being in the solution. In all, both parts of the Osmosis lab tuned out to

be a success and the class found the answers that they were looking for which led to a successful

lab.

References

(Diffusion Through Cell Membranes ) (Diffusion Through Cell Membranes )

(Hypertonic and Hypotonic Enviroments, n.d.)

(Osmosis, 2019)

(Passive Transport, 2019)

(Sigma-Aldrich, n.d.)