Scribd
Upload
33 views

Lab 5

The document discusses key concepts related to diffusion, osmosis, and biological membranes. It defines diffusion as the spontaneous movement of particles from an area of high concentration to low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is defined as the net movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from high to low water potential. Three experiments are described that demonstrate how increasing temperature, decreasing particle size, and increasing solute concentration affect diffusion rates.

Uploaded by

Fatima Al Sayyed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
33 views

Lab 5

The document discusses key concepts related to diffusion, osmosis, and biological membranes. It defines diffusion as the spontaneous movement of particles from an area of high concentration to low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is defined as the net movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from high to low water potential. Three experiments are described that demonstrate how increasing temperature, decreasing particle size, and increasing solute concentration affect diffusion rates.

Uploaded by

Fatima Al Sayyed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

- Major: Pre-Pharmacy

- Title: Diffusion Osmosis and Functional


Significance of Biological Membranes

- Date: November 4, 2012

Solvent is a liquid in which substances (or solutes) are dissolved forming a solution.
The most widely used solvent is water since it dissolves many substances; hence, it is
regarded as the ‘universal solvent. Solute is a substance dissolved in another
substance. Solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances, which
may be solids, liquids, gases, or a combination of these.

Selectively permeable is a feature and a function of the plasma membrane that is


essential to maintain homeostasis by regulating the passage of some substances
while preventing others from entering the cell.

Diffusion is a spontaneous movement of particles from an area of high concentration


to an area of low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is a
Net movement of water molecules through a semi permeable membrane from an area
of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential.If two solutions of
different concentration are separated by a semi-permeable membrane which is
permeable to the smaller solvent molecules but not to the larger solute molecules, then
the solvent will tend to diffuse across the membrane from the less concentrated to the
more concentrated solution.

Concentration gradient the gradual difference in the concentration of solutes in a


solution between two regions.

Equilibrium is a state when the concentration of solvent and solute molecules


become equally distributed.

Turgid is a distended or swollen, especially due to high fluid content.


Plasmolysis is the shrinking of protoplasm away from the cell wall of a plant or
bacterium due to water loss from osmosis, thereby resulting in gaps between the cell
wall and cell membrane.

Turgor pressure the pressure exerted by water inside the cell against the cell wall

Hypertonic having a higher osmotic pressure in a fluid relative to another fluid.


Isotonic having the same (or equal) osmotic pressure and same water potential since
the two solutions have an equal concentration of water molecules. 1. Having equal
tension. Hypotonic having a lesser osmotic pressure in a fluid compared to another
fluid, as in a ‘hypotonic solution’ – compare hypertonic, isotonic. it refers to a
solution with a comparatively lower concentration of solutes compared to another

Tonicity a property of a solution that depends on the osmotic force exerted across the
membrane as influenced by the differing concentrations of solutes in and out of the
cell.

I. Experiment one :

Aim: relate the change in temperature to the rate of diffusion

In two beakers containing water (one is hot and the other at room temperature) add
few drops of potassium permanganate:

In the hot beaker the dye diffused quickly to water while in the room temperature
beaker the dye takes more time to diffuse than in hot water

 Increase in temperature, increase the rate of diffusion

Conclusion: there is a direct relation between diffusion and temperature. High


Temperature increases the movement of solute so that it increases the rate of
diffusion.

II. Experiment two:

Aim: relate the size of particle to rate of difusion

We have three dyes Methylene Blue (Molar mass of C16H18N3SCl =


319.85222 g/mo), Potassium Permanganate (Molar mass of KMnO4 = 158.033949
g/mo) and Malachite Green (Molar Mass of CR23RHR26RNR2RCl = of 364.5 g/mol).
Potassium permanganate had the smallest molar mass, next in size was Methylene
blue and the Malachite green, had the largest molar mass.
 potassium permanganate has the lowest molecular weight it would diffuse
faster.

Conclusion: Smaller, lighter molecules diffuse faster than larger, heavier ones.

III. Experiment three:

Aim:

We cut the potato into three pieces each weigh 4.6 grams, we put them in 3 different
concentration beakers 1st 0.9%, 2nd 15% and 3rd 30 % of NaCl solution. After 15
minutes potato weighed 3.5g,4.2g and 4.46g respectively.

you place a red blood


cell in pure (distilled) water, it will quickly take up water until it bursts. This cell
will lose water as the water moves by diffusion from higher to lower concentration. The

cytoplasm of this cell has shrunken in a process called plasmolysis.

You might also like