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Virtual Osmosis Lab

This document summarizes the results of a virtual osmosis lab examining the effects of hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic solutions on red blood cells, Elodea plants, and Paramecium. The lab found that cells placed in a hypotonic solution gained water and swelled, cells in an isotonic solution saw no change, and cells in a hypertonic solution lost water and shrank. Additional questions explored how these principles explain why freshwater organisms cannot survive in saltwater, why salting meat after cooking prevents drying out, why salad wilts in dressing over time, and how pouring salt water kills weeds.

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5K views

Virtual Osmosis Lab

This document summarizes the results of a virtual osmosis lab examining the effects of hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic solutions on red blood cells, Elodea plants, and Paramecium. The lab found that cells placed in a hypotonic solution gained water and swelled, cells in an isotonic solution saw no change, and cells in a hypertonic solution lost water and shrank. Additional questions explored how these principles explain why freshwater organisms cannot survive in saltwater, why salting meat after cooking prevents drying out, why salad wilts in dressing over time, and how pouring salt water kills weeds.

Uploaded by

api-291218692
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Virtual Osmosis Lab

Molecule
s Names

Red
Blood
Cell: Net
Water
Moveme
nt In/Out
Hypotoni In
c
Solution
Isotonic
None
Solution
Hyperto Out
nic
Solution

Red
Blood
Cell:
Appeara
nce of
Cell
Bloated

Elodea:
Net
Water
Moveme
nt In/Out

Elodea:
Appeara
nce of
Cell

Parameciu
m: Net
Water
Movemen
t In/Out

Parameciu
m:
Appearan
ce of Cell

In

Bloated

In

Bloated

Same

None

Same

None

Same

Shrunken Out

Shrunken Out

Shrunken

Did water move into the cell or out of the cell while it was
surrounded by hypotonic solution?
The water moved into the cell.
In which direction did the water move through the cell membrane
when the cell was surrounded by the hypertonic solution?
The water moved out of the cell.
Compare and contrast what happens to an animal, a plant, and a
Paramecium cell in a hypotonic, an isotonic, and a hypertonic
solution.
All of the cells had similar reactions when they came in contact with the
solutions. All cells became bloated when they were exposed to the hypotonic
solution, stayed the same in an isotonic solution, and they all shrunk in the
hypertonic solution.
Could Elodea or Paramecium from a freshwater lake be expected to
survive if transplanted into the ocean? Explain.
Elodea and Paramecium would both not survive if they were transplanted
into the ocean. This is because fresh water has a different solute content
compared to the ocean's saltwater. Fresh water is an isotonic solution for
those cells. Salt water would be hypertonic for those cells as there is a higher

solute concentration in the salt water than in the cells. The cells would shrink
as water moves out of the cells into the solution.
If you were to grill a steak, would it be better to put salt on it before
or after you cooked it? Explain why, in terms of osmosis.
In terms of osmosis, it would be better to salt a steak after you have cooked
it. As adding salt before cooking it can remove moisture and the process of
cooking the steak would cause the higher temperatures to remove water
faster from the steak. By salting the steak after cooking it is able to retain
the most water which would stop it from being dry. The salt would draw out
water from the steak as the salt has a higher solute concentration than the
steak. This would cause the water to move out of the steak into the salt.
Higher temperatures caused by cooking would act as a catalyst as it
transfers water faster.
Why does salad become soggy and wilted when the dressing has
been on it for a while? Explain why, in terms of osmosis.
Dressing has a higher solute concentration in comparison to the salad. The
dressing is a hypertonic solution to the salad. This causes water to move
from the salad into the dressing. By water exiting the cells, it leaves the
salad wilted.
An effective way to kill weeds is to pour salt water on the ground
around the plants. Explain why weeds die, using the principles
discovered in this virtual lab.
By pouring a salt water solution onto the plants, the plants die. The reason
for this is that the salt water solution is hypertonic to the plants. This causes
water to leave the plant cells into the solution. In the virtual lab, all of the
cells placed in a hypertonic solution had shrunk out of normal shape. The
cells can possible stop functioning properly as they become denatured. As
cells stop functioning properly it can greatly affect the organism, in this case
the weeds.

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