EXERCISE 11

Transfer of Water and Materials In and Out of

the Plant

INTRODUCTION
The maintenance of a steady living state is very vital for every
living organism. Thus, this equilibrium is achieved through the
regulation of the transport of specific substances to particular sites,
moving molecules in and out of the cells through membranes, either
permeable or semi-permeable. This activity of the cell is involved in
cellular activities like growth, absorption and respiration. Transport can
also be either passive or active depending on the energy requirement
of the process. Diffusion is a kind of passive transport wherein
dissolved molecules move from higher to lower concentration.

HYPOTHESIS
Concentration of the solvent, size of the dissolving particle and
temperature affects the rate of transport through membranes.

OBJECTIVES
1. To determine some factors that affect the diffusion process.
2. To differentiate diffusion from imbibition.
3. To determine some factors that affect the permeability of cell
membranes.
4. To demonstrate the various processes by which materials are
transported and transpired.

RESULTS
Diffusion of Selected Plant Pigments

Test tube 1 contains 1g atsuete

Test tube 2 contains 1g atsuete
place in boiling water bath
Test tube 3 contains 1g atsuete
Test tube 4 contains 1g atsuete

SUBSTANCE
Test tube 1

seeds and 10 ml distilled water

seeds and 10 ml distilled water and
seeds and 10 ml vegetable oil
seeds and 10 ml heated vegetable oil

OBSERVATION ( COLOR
INTENSITY)
+

Test tube 2
Test tube 3
Test tube 4

+++
++
++++

Osmosis

TURGID CELL OF BOAT OF MOSES

PLASMOLYZED CELL (5% salt solution)

Factors affecting the integrity of Cell Membranes

Sugar beets slices placed on different chemicals and conditions.

TEST
TUBE

INTENSIT
Y COLOR

TEST TUBE

INTENSITY OF
COLOR

+++

D
(chlorofor
m)

+++

++

E
(acetone)

++++

(room
temp)

(refrigerator
)

C (60 oC)

TEST
TUBE
F (NaOH)

G (HCl)

Blue = effect of

temperature

Brown= effect of

organic solvents

Pink= effect of pH

Imbibition

Medium

Imbibant

Initial

Final

in

INTENSI
Y COLOR
+++

++++

Water

Kerosene

Weight (g)

weight

Weight

rubber

0.6

0.6

0%

wood

2.6

3.7

42.31 %

seeds

10

10.1

1%

rubber

0.6

0.9

50 %

wood

0.8

1.2

50 %

seeds

10

10.1

1%

Movement of water through the stem

Pechay leaves immersed in 10 ml of 0.01% of eosin dye solution.

Traces of eosin dye solution

Comparison of the Cuticular and Stomatal Transpiration

Leaf A no petroleum jelly applied.

Leaf B had petroleum jelly applied on the upper surface.
Leaf C had petroleum jelly on the lower surface.
Leaf D had petroleum jelly on both surface.

RESULTS: (decreasing order of dryness)

LEAF A > B > C > D

Guttation

Droplets were formed on the leaf margin.

DISCUSSIONS
Diffusion of Selected Plant Pigments

The rate of diffusion is affected by the rate of the

concentration gradient of the solvent and temperature. Color
intensity shows the rate of the process. In the experiment,
wherein Test tubes C and D contained 1 g atsuete seeds and
vegetable oil, the diffusion was faster compared to the other
test tubes containing water as a solvent. This is because the
greater the gap between the concentration gradients in the
seed and the solvent, the faster the rate of diffusion. Test tube
A containing atsuete seeds in water turned out to have the
slowest rate because water is less concentrated than
vegetable oil. Observing also the difference between the test
tubes to which heat was applied. Test tube B, boiled, turned
out to have a faster rate of diffusion than A and the same with
D compared to C. This is because the higher the temperature,
the faster the rate of the process.
Another factor was the size of the dissolving material,
though it was not emphasized in the experiment, the bigger
the size of the solute, the slower the rate of diffusion.
Carotene, the pigment escaping from the seeds, travelled
the farthest because it is the most soluble among the
pigments.

Osmosis

In a turgid cell of Boat of

Moses, the direction of water was inward which causes the
swelling of the vacuole (violet part). But after immersing the cell
in a 5% salt solution, the cell becomes plasmolyzed and water
moving in the cell goes out, thus, the vacuole shrinks. The turgid
cell does not burst because of the cell wall and remains intact in
a plasmolyzed cell because of the its rigid property and
resistance to rupturing.

Factors affecting the integrity of Cell Membranes

The effect of temperature on cell membrane is shown by A, B

and C. Color intensity was used as an indicator of the damage
done to the membranes. A has the greatest color intensity,
followed by B and C. These results show that at room
temperature, little or no damage and stress is done to the
membranes. At low temperatures (like the temperature inside
the refrigerator), there is damage and stress done to the
membranes. The most damage and stress is done to the
membranes if the cells are subjected to high temperatures (like
the temperature of the water bath). Heating the membranes,
molecules start to spin and vibrate faster. The water will expand
too, disrupting the membranes. Lipids become more fluid as
temperature goes up, making the membranes fragile. Heating
proteins, the amino acids will untangle and break apart, forming
holes that will destroy the structure. Any pigment will spill out
indicating the intensity of the color.
Slides D and E show the effect of organic solvents on cell
membrane integrity. The color intensity of E(treated with
acetone) was greater than that of D(treated with chloroform).
This shows that acetone has done more damage to the
membranes and thus a stronger organic solvent than chloroform.
Because the cell membranes outer layer is nonpolar
(hydrophilic), nonpolar organic solvents would cause damage to
the membrane and pigments would escape out of the cell.

Slides F and G shows the effect of pH. Slide G, which was

treated with HCl, has a greater color intensity than F. This
outcome shows that HCl, an acid, causes more damage to the
membranes than does NaOH, a base.
Extreme pH causes
membrane proteins to denature. The lower the pH, the more
protein denatures, allowing pigments to leak out of the cell.

Imbibition
Imbibition is the absorption of fluid by a solid or colloid that
results in swelling. The experiment showed that wood is a good
imbibant of water while wood and rubber are good imbibants of
kerosene.
In imbibition, living cells are not necessary for the process
to take place. In seeds, both living (seed itself) and dead (seed
coat) absorbed water and are involve in the process. Imbibition is

important to seed germination because its swelling effect causes

the seed coat to rupture and allows radical to move downward
forming the root.
Movement of water through the stem

In the experiment, the xylem tissues of the pechay stalk

were stained with the eosin dye proving that water moves up
the stem through the xylem tissues.

Comparison
Transpiration

of

the

Cuticular

and

Stomatal

The petroleum jelly decreases the rate of transpiration of

the leaves. Leaf A, not covered with the jelly, turned out to be
the driest because nothing obstructs the stomata on the surface
of the leaf. Leaf B, upper surface covered, is next because inspite
of the jelly on the upper surface, the lower surface containing
more stomata is still exposed. Leaf C, lower surface covered, is
second least dry and leaf D as least dry because all the stomata
were covered reducing the rate of transpiration.
Guttation
Guttation was induced because of high root pressure and
overly moist soil conditions. The difference of it with transiration
is guttation is the exudation of liquid water from leaves caused
by root pressure while transpiration is the loss of water in the
form of water vapor or by evaporation.

REFERENCES
Botany: An introduction to Plant Biology (4th edition). 2009. James D.
Mauseth. P.267
http://bio1151b.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch07/07_13WaterB
alanceP.jpg
http://www.biologymad.com/resources/beetroot
%20pigment2.doc

EXERCISE 13
RESPIRATION

INTRODUCTION
Cellular respiration is the catabolic pathways of aerobic
and anaerobic respiration, which break down organic
molecules for the production of ATP. (Campbell, 2009)

In the process, it results in the release of both carbon

dioxide and water.

HYPOTHESIS
If the products of photosynthesis are utilized in the process
of cellular respiration in order to generate ATP, then cellulose
and glucose are the materials that undergo a series of
processes in order to release carbon dioxide and water as

well as energy in the form of heat.

OBJECTIVES
The exercise mainly aims to achieve an understanding of
cellular respiration in plants in relation to the role of the
reactants, the details of its main processes and the
manufacturing of its products.
Specifically, this study aims to:
Create an understanding of the role of oxygen in plant
cellular respiration
Mark how heat is produced by germinating seeds
Depict the processes that allow that generate carbon
dioxide among soaked seeds

RESULTS

Use Of Oxygen
Setup A (germinating seeds): Change in color of the
red ink in the adjacent bottle
Setup B (killed seeds): No change in either bottle

Production of Heat Energy

Setup A (germinating seeds): Steady rise in
temperature as time passes by
Start: 37 degrees
After 30 minutes: 37.7 degrees
After 1 hour: 38.5 degrees

Setup
B
(killed
seeds):
No
change
temperature at any time during the study
Start: 36 degrees
After 30 minutes: 36 degrees
After 1 hour: 36 degrees

in

Production of Carbon Dioxide

The water in the adjacent flask became blurry. Also,
there was an evident change in its color

DISCUSSIONS
Use of Oxygen
The change in color of the ink can only be seen in Setup A
because the germinating seeds are undergoing cellular respiration
whereas the killed seeds demonstrate no change at all.
The reason for this is because of the use of oxygen in the
process of cellular respiration. When the seeds use oxygen, they
release carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide then reacted with the
water in the adjacent bottle thus forming carbonic acid (the lighter
colored liquid that replaces the red ink).
Production of Heat Energy
In the earlier hypothesis, it was discussed that ATP is released
during cellular respiration in the form of heat energy. We therefore
conclude that because the germinating seeds undergo cellular
respiration, the temperature rises in the Setup A flask because of
this release of heat whereas the killed seeds do not undergo any
change because they do not respire.
Production of Carbon Dioxide

There was a noticeable change in color of the blue solution as

well as in the quality of the water because it became blurry. This can
be explained by the carbon dioxide production of the plant while
respiring. As the seeds produce carbon dioxide, it mixes with the
water, forming carbonic acid. We know it is carbonic acid because
the change in clarity of the water indicates that it has become
acidic.

Part Further Study Questions

Aerobic Respiration: Occurs only if free oxygen is present,
the process of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle occur in different

places with the former in the cytoplasm and the latter in the
mitochondria with glucose being completely oxidized into
carbon dioxide and water. (occurs in plant and animal cells)
Anaerobic Respiration: Functions when there is a lack of
free oxygen, the whole process occurs in the cytoplasm with
glucose incompletely oxidized (occurs in muscle cells lactic
acid fermentation; some fungi and bacteria in the formation of
yeast alcohol fermentation)
Factors affecting cellular respiration: Many factors affect the
process of cellular respiration but we can point out three that may
serve as primary influences.
The amount of nutrients such as fats, proteins and
carbohydrates the more nutrients available, the more
energy is produced. Also, the type of nutrients supplied can
affect the amount of energy that can be transformed
because each nutrient possesses its own set of qualities
that may affect cellular respiration.
Temperature of the environment the higher the
temperature, the faster the rate of cellular respiration.
The state of a cell this mainly affects the rate of
transforming the nutrients into energy. Working cells would
have a higher rate of respiration as opposed to dormant
cells.

REFERENCES
Biology 8th Edition (2009) Neil A. Campbell & Jane B. Reece
http://www.preservearticles.com/201101042471/differencesbetween-aerobic-and-anaerobic-respiration.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6417883_factors-affecting-cellularrespiration.html

EXERCISE 12
PHOTOSYNTHESIS

INTRODUCTION
Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy to
chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar.

HYPOTHESIS
When light energy is absorbed by autotrophs with the aid
of chlorophyll, water and carbon dioxide are the raw materials
needed to produce molecules of glucose and release oxygen.

OBJECTIVES
This exercises intention is to determine the role played by
the reactants in photosynthesis and their overall effect to the
products and the reaction itself.
This study aims to:
Determine the importance of chlorophyll, light and

carbon dioxide in photosynthesis

Note the discharge of oxygen
And to demonstrate the separation of the chloroplast
pigments

RESULTS
The Role of Chlorophyll in Photosynthesis
The Role of Light in Photosynthesis

The Role of CO2 in Photosynthesis

Color Intensities (+, ++, +++)

With Hydrilla
Set up A(boiled water)
+
Set up B(boiled water and sodium bicarbonate)
++
Without Hydrilla
Set up C(boiled water and sodium bicarbonate)
+++
Set up A has less air (oxygen) bubbles compared to Set up B

Oxygen Liberation in Photosynthesis

After several minutes, air bubbles begin to rise up to the end of the
inverted test tube.