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Carley Tiano
Cell Transport Lab
February 6, 2013

Introduction:
When kinetic energy is present in a solution it causes particles to move at a random rate.
They move in an opposite direction to spread out equally, but in the process they collide. When
particles spread out from areas of high concentration to an area of a low concentration its called
diffusion. The difference in concentration areas involved in diffusion is called the concentration
gradient. In a solution there is a combination of a solute and a solvent. A solute is the substance
there is less of and a solvent is a substance there is more of. When perfume is sprayed in the air
the scent can drift to the other side of the room. When first sprayed it is highly concentrated in
that area, but suddenly diffuses and moves to an area of low concentration until it reaches
equilibrium.
The cell membrane is a semipermeable membrane surrounding the cell, regulating it like
a filter. Its function is to protect the interior of the cell. The molecule that makes up the cell
membrane is a phospholipid, which has a polar head and two non-polar tails. Phospholipids
arrange themselves in a bilayer with the tails pointing toward the inside. They will separate
extracellular environment from the intra cellular environment. Proteins in the cell membrane act
like anchors and ID cards moving particles in and out of the cell. Carbohydrates hold the cells
together and act as sites where viruses can attach. Cholesterol helps the membrane contain its
shape.
The tendency of molecules of a solvent to pass through the cell membrane, diffusing
movement of water from an area of high to low concentration is osmosis. Osmosis will keep
diffusing until equilibrium is reached. An aquaporin is the right hand man allowing only water in
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and out of the cell. A hypertonic environment is when the solution has a high solute
concentration and low water concentration. This type of solution would be very thick like syrup,
which will cause the cell to shrink. A hypotonic environment has a high water concentration and
a low solute concentration, which will cause the cell to swell. An isotonic environment is equal
solution concentration so there will be no movement of molecules.
The movements of particles down the gradient without using energy is passive transport.
It is the complete opposite of active transport. Passive transport will act like diffusion, the
molecules will move from higher to lower concentration areas with no outside force needed.
There are three types of passive transport diffusion, osmosis, and facilitated diffusion. Diffusion
is the spreading of molecules in a solid, liquid, or gas from an area of high concentration to low
concentration. Osmosis is water diffusion, where molecules of a solvent pass through a
semipermeable membrane from a low concentrated area to a high concentrated area (biology-
online-2011). Facilitated diffusion is the diffusion of substances with the help of channel proteins
and carrier protein.
A transport where ions or molecules move against a concentration gradient, which means
movement in the opposite direction of diffusion or movement from low to high concentration
(biology-online-, 2011). The process will use energy unlike passive transport. A carrier protein
attaches to a molecule and helps move across the cell membrane. Three types of active transport
are the sodium potassium pump otherwise known as the cell membrane pump, exocytosis, and
endocytosis. Sodium potassium pump uses energy to transport sodium and potassium in and out
of the cell (biologyfacts.com). Exocytosis deposits materials from the inside of the cell like Golgi
bodies. The last type is endocytosis is a process by which cells can take in large particles and
deposit them into the cell (biologyfacts.com). Endocytosis is used to bring glucose into the cell.
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All these processes help function the cell membrane and allow what goes in and out of the cell to
remain healthy.
Methods and Materials:
The mass of a chicken egg was calculated by subtracting the mass of a plastic cup from
the mass of the egg and cup. Then, vinegar was poured over the egg until it was covered and was
left overnight. The next day the solution was dumped and the mass of the egg and observations
were recorded. The percent change in mass were calculated by subtracting the current day by the
previous day, multiplied by 100 and divided by previous day. Then syrup was poured over the
egg and let to sit over night. The same process happened the next day by dumping the solution,
recording the mass, and calculating the percent change in mass for the data table. Water was
poured over the egg for the last day and let to sit over night. The solution was dumped the next
day ad the cup cleaned. The egg was recorded once more then placed in the trash.
For the potato strip lab first cups were labeled water, 0.2 NaCl, and 0.5 NaCl. The mass
of the three potato slices were measured and recorded. The potato slices were placed in the
corresponding cup and added 150 mL of the correct solution. The cups were left over night for
diffusion to take place. Remove the potato strips the next day, and measure and record the mass
in grams. Calculate the percentage change in mass and pour the solution down the drain.
Results:
On day one, the eggshell began to bubble in the vinegar. The next day the shell was
mostly dissolved and the egg appeared larger and the solution was bubbly. The next day the
percent change in mass increased. When the syrup as poured over the egg it appeared to be
sunken in and light brown the following day. The solution was dark brown, thick, and had
bubbles floating around the egg, and there was a decrease in percent change in mass. Water was
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poured over the egg and left to sit overnight for the last day. The solution became a light brown
overnight from the syrup that stained the egg. The egg appeared to stay the same size but the
color seem to lighten, and it looked very brittle and ready to pop. Water caused an increase in
percent change in mass.






Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Mass of cup (g) 157 g 157 g 157 g 157 g
Mass of cup and
egg (g)
74.8 g 224.9 g 211.4 g 231.2 g
Mass of egg (g) 56 g 67.9 g 54.4 g 74.2 g
Percent change
in mass
21.25 % 19.8% 36%
Observations Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Solution Bubbles, clear Thick, dark Light, brown Light brown
Egg Covered in
bubbles, looks
distorted, like
rubber
Egg is floating,
bubbles, egg is
deformed, brown
Deformed,
brown, white
Spots, light
brown, swollen
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Discussion:
When data was gathered from different solutions the egg was placed in, the results
showed how molecules move across a membrane. On day 1 the egg was placed in vinegar
because it will strip it from its hard shell and create a semipermeable membrane. The next day
the egg was larger and there was a percent increase change in mass. The cell seemed to be larger
because it was placed in a hypotonic solution. A hypotonic solution is when there is a high water
concentration and a low solute concentration causing the water from the outside of the egg to
enter the inside of the egg. The egg was placed in syrup the following day. Syrup is a hypertonic
solution, which has a low water concentration and a high solute concentration. The egg was
sunken the next day and there was a decrease in a percent change in mass as it was expected. The
last solution the egg was placed in was water. There was an increase change in mass, but the egg
appeared the same. Water is an isotonic solution, where no molecules move because there is an
equal solute concentration. In this event an egg should be placed in an isotonic environment so it
does not become deformed.
In our potato strip lab, three different potato strips were placed in different solutions. The
average NaCl concentration of a potato is 0.25 NaCl. It was believed that if the potato was
placed in a solution with 0 NaCl, it would expand because the water will diffuse into the potato
strip. The two other solutions were 0.2 NaCl and 0.5 NaCl. If the strip was placed in the 0.2
NaCl solution the potato it will stay the same because it is in an isotonic environment. The potato
and NaCl solution will reach its equilibrium and molecules will not move. If the solution has 0.5
NaCl in the solution the potato would shrink because it is in a hypertonic environment. The more
NaCl that surrounds the potato the smaller it will become.

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Conclusion:
The purpose of this study was to describe how molecules move across a cell membrane.
In the lab, study showed how different solutions cause the movement of water in and out of the
cell. The importance of the data shows the effect of different solutions during diffusion. This will
help us give plants the proper nutrients. If the plant receives too much or to little it will die, so
former plant owners know its proper isotonic environment. A future study could be what
different plants can survive in what environments.















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Work Cited
Zuzyumahalla. (n.d.). Passive transport - definition from Biology-Online.org. Life
Science Reference - Biology Online. , from http://www.biology-
online.org/dictionary/Passive_transport
Category. (n.d.).Phospholipids. Biology.,fromhttp://biology.about.com/od/molecularbiolo
zuzyumahalla. (n.d.). Active transport - definition from Biology-Online.org. Life Science
Reference - Biology Online, from http://www.biology-
online.org/dictionary/Active_transport
Active Transport - Biology Facts. (n.d.).Biology Facts - Home., from
http://biologyfunfacts.weebly.com/active-transport.html