Osmosis & Diffusion

Dean Doneen
BIOL 1500

Introduction
Cells are limited as far as how large they can grow. Because cells
require the fast movement of molecules and ions in and out of the cell,
they really cant grown any larger than 100 microns. If they got any
larger than this, it would take too long for particles to move to and
in/out of the cell membrane.
Cells can regulate the flow of materials into and outside of the
cell through proteins located on the cell membrane. These proteins can
open up to allow molecules to pass through, bind with specific
molecules, or simply remain open. Some diffusion happens right
through the phospholipid bilayer, and is called simple diffusion.
A solvent is a fluid capable of dissolving a solute. For example, if
I were to dissolve salt in water, salt would be the solute; the saltwater
would be the solvent.
Cellular membranes are said to be selectively permeable,
meaning that ions and molecules can pass through, but the passage is
regulated; not everything can pass right through.
Diffusion is defined as the net movement of molecules down a
gradient from areas of high concentration to areas of low
concentration. In cells, this can happen either naturally (passive
transport) or with the requirement of energy (active transport). Passive
transport occurs when molecules are moving from areas of high to low
concentration, this happens without the cell having to do any work.
However, to move molecules against the concentration gradient,
energy must be used to fight against what would otherwise happen.
Proteins have to open and close with the use of energy to trap and
send out molecules against a concentration gradient.
Osmosis is defined as the movement of water through a
permeable membrane or simple diffusion. Water will move from areas
of high concentration to low concentration, so osmosis is a type of
diffusion. A plant cell that is hypertonic contains less water inside, so
the water will want to come into the cell. Eventually, it will become
isotonic, equal distribution, or will more likely become hypotonic if it is
properly watered. This will result in the cells being filled with more
water, so there will be more movement of molecules into the cell.
Some factors that can influence the rate of diffusion and osmosis
are: concentration gradient, temperature, the specific molecule, the
permeable membrane, and obviously time.
Materials & Methods
For this lab we made a bag out of dialysis tubing, then measured
the rate of osmosis by adding 5mL of 1% polysaccharide into 3
different bags. We weighed all 3 bags. We then put a bag in a different
concentration of polysaccharide (1%, 25%, 50%). We soaked the bags

for 50 minutes and then took them out, and weighed the bags again,
noting the change in weight.
WE also prepared a 4th bag and added 5mL of 1%
phenolphthalein to the bag, then added about 20mL of 1M NaOH to a
beaker. We noted the initial colors of the liquids in the bag and the
beaker. Then we put the bag into the beaker and noted the change in
color.
For our final trick, we put a elodea leaf on a slide and observed
what we saw under a microscope at 10X and 40X magnification. We
then added one drop of 10% salt solution onto the leaf, replaced the
cover slip, and again observed at 10X and 40X magnification.
Results
For the first experiment, our results were strange. We got that
the bag increased in weight in all 3 different solutions. This was in
sharp contrast with the class averages. For the 1% solution, we got a
weight change of -.5g, as opposed to the class .05g. For the 25%
solution, we got a -.09g, as opposed to the class .33g. And for the 50%
solution, we got a change of -.57g, as opposed to the class .70g. The
class averages seem a much better approximation of what the actual
results should be. The class average results indicate that as the
concentration of polysaccharide in the beaker increased, more and
more water left the dialysis tubing bag, and thus decreased the weight
of the bag.
Our results for the second experiment made more sense. As we
put the bag in the solution, the color diffused along with the solvent
through the dialysis tubing. This is why the purple color was present in
both the bag and beaker liquid.
Our results for the third experiment were that as the 10% salt
solution was added, the plant cells contracted.
Discussion
Dialysis tubing represented a semipermeable membrane
because only certain molecules could pass through it. This is similar to
a cell membrane and thus was useful for demonstrating the process of
diffusion and osmosis.
I would have predicted the weight of the bags to decrease in
weight. Since there was a higher concentration of polysaccharide
outside of the bags, water would be flowing out of the bags and thus
the weight would decrease. I think that our individual results were
skewed because the strings used to tie the bags closed got wet when
they were soaking, adding additional weight. Our results from

experiment 1 tell us that the higher the concentration gradient, the

faster the rate of osmosis.
Our results from experiment 2 indicate that phenolphthalein is
smaller than sodium hydroxide, because it was easier for it to pass
through the dialysis tubing than sodium hydroxide.
Plasmolysis occurs when plant cells lose water, and results in the
contraction of the cell. Because this occurs, the 10% salt solution was
hypotonic to the cytoplasm in the cell, meaning that there was more
salt outside of the cell membrane than inside. This resulted in water
being pulled out of the cell as salt was pushed into the cell, resulting in
contraction. Cell walls play a role in mitigating this effect, so when
plants are exposed to other solutions, they do not dramatically change.
There seemed to be some serious problems with weighing the
dialysis tubing bags in the first experiment. To correct this issue, it
would have been helpful to make sure that the strings initially were
already thoroughly wet. It also would have been helpful to ensure that
there was not water clinging to the bags after they were removed from
the beaker. Both of these factors would result in the weight being
higher than it actually should be, and both likely contributed to our
skewed results.
References
Audesirk, Teresa, Gerald Audesirk, and Bruce E. Byers. Biology: Life on
Earth with Physiology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall,
2008. Print.