Osmosis Simulation Through the Cell Membrane

Christopher McFayden
Honors Biology: Period 5
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School
April 30, 2018

Introduction:

Passive transport is a certain type of movement of ions or other atomic or molecular

substances through a cell membrane without the need for energy input (Radar studios, 1997).

Also, to be selectively permeable means that something only allows certain substances and ions

to pass through by the means of passive or active transport. Osmosis is a movement of water

molecules passing through a semi permeable membrane into a higher concentration in which it

will get as close as it can to equilibrium. Different environments that a cell can be placed into is a

hypotonic environment, an isotonic environment and a hypertonic environment. A hypotonic

environment is when there is a higher concentration of substance outside the cell so molecules
move through the cell membrane and into the cell. An isotonic environment is where the cell is

as close to equilibrium as it can be. Placing a cell into a hypertonic environment means that there

is a higher concentration of substance inside the cell causing it to pass through the cell membrane

and exit the cell (Pearson Education, 2000). This is important for real world purposes because we

can be at risk of placing our cells in those environments. Drinking to much water can place your

cells in a hypotonic environment causing them to burst. This is called cytolysis and it can be

found in long distance runners because they are constantly drinking pure water (BWB

Marketing, 2007). While observing the effects of osmosis in the different environments, dialysis

tubing can be use instead of an actual cell. Dialysis tubing can act as a selectively permeable

membrane, which will show us osmosis on a greater scale. For this reason, it is very useful in

this particular lab because it can show how a cell would react when placed into a certain osmotic

environment. One purpose of part one of this lab was to observe how a cell membrane would

react when placed into several different environments. Another purpose was to model and see

what a real cell membrane would be like. Another purpose was to see the damage a real cell

could sustain by being placed into anyone of the given environments. A purpose of part two was

to show how some substances are able to pass freely through passive transport while some others

are not able to pass through selectively permeable membranes. In beaker one, the simulated cell

was placed into an isotonic environment because it was water in water. In beaker two, the

simulated cell was placed into a hypotonic environment because water moved from the high

concentration into the low. In beaker three the simulated cell was placed into a hypotonic

environment, we know this because the cell was placed into a higher concentration of pure water.

In beaker four the simulated cell was placed into a hypotonic environment. In beaker five one of

the simulated cells was placed into a hypertonic environment and the other one was placed into a
hypotonic environment. In part two, the simulated cell in beaker six was placed into a hypotonic

environment. The dependent variable for part one was the change in mass and the independent

variable was the amount of glucose in the different solutions because the mass of the simulated

cell depended on what environment it was in. The dependent variable for part one is the color

change on the inside of the simulated cell. The independent variable for part two was the location

of the starch and the iodine because the color depended on where they were located. The

constants for part one were the amount of solution that was put into the tubing, the temperature

of the solutions, the amount of time left in the beaker, and the method used to dry the tubing after

pulling it out of the beaker. The control group for part one was the simulated cell in the isotonic

environment, the water in water. The experimental group were the rest of the beakers which

tested the different osmotic environments. The constants for part two of the lab were the amount

of water and iodine in the beaker, the temperature of the solutions and the length the dialysis

tubing was in the solution. In part 2 of the lab, there was no control group present. The

experimental group was the simulated cell filled with starch solution in the iodine solution. If

you place a simulated cell filled with 5 mL of pure water into a beaker filled with 200 mL of

pure water, then it will stay around the same mass throughout the lab. If you place a simulated

cell filled with 5 mL of 20% glucose solution into a beaker filled with 200 mL of pure water,

then the mass of the simulated cell will increase because it will be placed into a hypotonic

environment. If you place a simulated cell filled with 5 mL of 40% glucose solution into a beaker

filled with 200 mL of pure water, then the mass of the simulated cell will increase because it will

be placed into a hypotonic environment. If you place a simulated cell filled with 5 mL of 60%

glucose solution into a beaker filled with 200 mL of pure water, then the mass of the simulated

cell will increase because it will be placed into a hypotonic environment. If you place a
simulated cell filled with 5 mL of 80% glucose solution into a beaker filled with 200 mL of 60%

glucose solution, then the mass of the simulated cell will increase because it will be placed into a

hypotonic environment. If you place a simulated cell with 5 mL of pure water into a beaker filled

with 60% glucose solution, then the mass of the simulated cell will decrease because it is being

placed in a hypertonic environment. Finally, if a simulated cell filled with a starch solution is

placed into a beaker filled with an iodine solution, then the iodine solution will move into the cell

because the membrane is selectively permeable to iodine and the color will change to blue.

Materials:

- 6 beakers

- 7 dialysis tubing

- 20% glucose solution

- 40% glucose solution

- 60% glucose solution

- 80% glucose solution

- Water

- Liquid iodine

- Starch

- 6 pipettes

- 5 graduated cylinders

- 14 pieces of string

- Paper towels
 - Plastic spoons

- Scale

- Scissors

- Timer

Procedure: Part 1

1. Obtain 5 beakers and fill four with 200 mL of pure water and one with 200 mL of 60%

glucose solution.

2. Obtain 6 dialysis tubes and fold one end of each tube in a down/across/down formation

and tie a knot with string in the center of the fold.

3. Obtain 5 graduated cylinders and using pipettes fill the graduated cylinders with one

solution per graduated cylinder (Fill one with water and repeat for the second dialysis

tube)

4. Pour the solutions and pure water in the graduated cylinders into the open ends of the

dialysis tubing.

5. Fold each open end of the dialysis tubing in a down/across/down formation and tie a knot

with string in the center of the fold.

6. Place each dialysis tube on a scale and record the mass of the tubing before submerging

in the beakers.

7. Lower the water, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% into the four beakers filled with 200 mL of

pure water and then lower the remaining dialysis tubes containing pure water and 80%

glucose solution into the beaker with 200 mL of 60% glucose solution.
 8. Let the tubing sit in the beaker for 3 minutes.

9. Take out dialysis tubing after 3 minutes, dry and weigh on a scale while recording the

results, in grams, finding the mass of the tubing and the change in mass from 0-3

minutes.

10. Place each tube back into their respective beakers and wait 3 more minutes.

11. After another 3 minutes, take out the tubes, dry and weigh them on a scale recording their

mass and their change in mass from from 3-6 minutes.

12. Place each tube back into their respective beakers and wait 3 more minutes.

13. After another 3 minutes, take out the tubes, dry and weigh them on a scale recording their

mass and their change in mass from 6-9 minutes.

14. Clean up lab by throwing away dialysis tubing and pouring water and solution down the

drain resetting lab for later classes.

Procedure: Part 2

1. Obtain beaker and fill with 200 mL with pure water.

2. Obtain one dialysis tube and fold one in a down/across/down form tying a knot with

string in the middle of the fold.

3. Fill dialysis tube half way with starch and water solution then mix.

4. Fold the open end o the tube in a down/across/down formation and tie a knot in the center

of the fold with sting.

5. Using a pipette, place ten drops of liquid iodine into the beaker containing 200 mL of

pure water.
 6. Place dialysis tubing into iodine solution and wait to see results.

7. Take out dialysis tubing and examine the tubing for any color change.

Procedure information can be found in Diffusion Through Cell Membrane packet.