Results

Activity 1: Diffusion

Temperature (◦C) Time taken (min)

5 9.45
27 9.00
50 7.20

Activity 2: Osmosis

a) Osmotic Pressure
Height (cm)
Time taken (min)
30% sucrose 60% sucrose
0 0 0
10 0 0.07
20 0.02 0.11
30 0.21 0.18
40 0.33 0.22
50 0.12 0.02
60 0.13 0.03

Initial osmotic pressure for 30% sucrose Initial osmotic pressure for 60% sucrose
solution: solution:

П = iRT (C1 + C2 ) П = iRT (C1 + C2 )

C1 = (30g/100ml) (1000ml/1L) (1 mole/342g) C1 = (60g/100ml) (1000ml/1L) (1 mole/342g)

= 0.877mole/L = 1.75mole/L
П = (1) (0.082 L atm/mole K) (299°K) П = (1) (0.082 L atm/mole K) (299°K)

(0.877 mole/L - 0) (1.75 mole/L - 0)

= 21.50atm = 42.90atm
b) Osmosis in Plant Cells
Percent of Initial volume of Change of volume of Percent Change (%)
solution NaCl (mL) NaCl (mL)
Distilled water 50 3 6
0.4 % NaCl 50 0 0
0.9 % NaCl 50 1 2
5.0 % NaCl 50 -0.5 -1
10.0 % NaCl 50 -1 -2

Activity 3: Tonicity

a) Macroscopic observation

Solution Lysis time

Soap 1 hour

Distilled water 1 hour

0.2% NaCl 1 hour

0.4 % NaCl 1 hour

0.9% NaCl 1 hour

2% NaCl 1 hour

5% NaCl 1 hour

10% NaCl 1 hour

Activity 4: Cell Permeability

a) Effect of Molecular Size on Cell Permeability

Type of Solution Time taken to become transparent (min)
Urea -
Glycerine 6.00
Glucose 1.48
Sucrose 4.00

b) Effect of Lipid Solubility on Cell Permeability

Concentration of Alcohol Time taken (min)

22M Methyl alcohol 1.38

3M Propyl alcohol 2.26

1.1M N-Butyl alcohol 0.13

0.38M Amyl alcohol 0.17

Discussion

Diffusion is the process that involves the movement of the molecules from a high
concentration to a lower concentration area. This happens because the particles are
continuously bumping to each other causing the particles to spread out. In this activity we have
used methylene blue and different water temperature. So first we have put the water in three
different beakers, then we placed the methylene blue simultaneously and record the time taken
for the dye evenly dispersed. From this activity we discovered the effect of temperature to the
diffusion rate of the compound, the higher the temperature, the faster the diffusion rate. We
have used three different temperature in this activity which are 5°C, 27°C and 50°C and the time
taken was 9.45min, 9.00min, and 7.20min respectively. The experiment was successfully come
out with the same result as in the theory.

Osmosis is the process by which water molecule move from a region of low solute
concentration to an area of high solute concentration through a semi permeable cell membrane
until the concentration of water molecule in and out of the cell is at equilibrium. On second
activity, we have done two type of osmosis which are osmotic pressure and osmosis in plant
cell. The osmotic pressure experiment was conducted by setting up two osmometers.
A 15cm long piece of dialysis tubing was soaked in distilled water for a few minutes. The tubing
was then tied with a knot at one end and then filled a dialysis bag with 30% sucrose solution
(that contains methylene blue dye). The dialysis bag was then tied to one end of a glass tubing
with a small bore by wrapping a heavy cord around bag and tube several times and tying with
knot. The osmometer was then attached to a burette clamp, following that the dialysis bag was
then lowered into a beaker of distilled water. The height of the fluid in the glass tubing was
marked with a pencil and the time was recorded as for the 30% sucrose the fluid started to arise
0.02cm after 20 minutes, 0.21cm after 30 minutes and 0.33 after 40 minutes. Because of the
loose tied, the leaking started to be happened and the height of fluid decrease to 0.12cm at 50
minutes and 0.13cm at 60 minutes. This procedure was then repeated with another osmometer
with 60% sucrose solution and the height of fluid started to increase from 0 to 0.07, 0.11, 0.18,
and 0.22 for 0min,10min, 20min, 30min, and 40min respectively. Because of the same reason,
the height of fluid with 60% sucrose also begin to decrease in the 50th minutes with 0.12cm and
60th minutes with 0.03cm. As refer to the result 30% of sucrose has the fastest rate of fluid
movement and largest total movement compared to 60% of sucrose.
For osmosis in plant cells, we have used distilled water, 0.4%, 0.9%, 5%, 10% of NaCl and
potato. All potato was cut into five similar length and diameter and soaked into four different
concentration of NaCl and distilled water (dH2O). We left for 2 hours and observed on the
change of volume of solution, as the initial volume of all solution are 50mL. From the result
obtained, distilled water and 0.9% NaCl is hypotonic, it contains a high concentration of water
molecules and due to its high osmotic pressure, water molecule diffused into the potato cells
and make the solution change by 6% for dH2O and 2% for 0.9% NaCl as the final volume after
two hours is 47mL and 49mL respectively. Some error has occurred during handling the
experiment because 0.9% NaCl should be isotonic. 0.4% of NaCl is isotonic as the result is 0%
change means that water molecule moved in and out potato cells are balanced. 5% and 10% of
NaCl shows as hypertonic, they have low water molecule concentration and thus they have low
osmotic pressure. Water molecule moved from the potato cells into the NaCl solution and
increase the final volume of solution from 50mL to 50.5mL and 51mL.

The ability of an extracellular solution to make water move into or out of a cell by
osmosis is know as its tonicity. A solution's tonicity is related to its osmolarity, which is the total
concentration of all solutes in the solution. A solution with low osmolarity has fewer solute
particles per liter of solution, while a solution with high osmolarity has more solute particles per
liter of solution. When solutions of different osmolarities are separated by a membrane
permeable to water, but not to solute, water will move from the side with lower osmolarity to the
side with higher osmolarity.

For microscopic observation, we have used soap solution, distilled water, and NaCl
solutions of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.9%, 2%, 5%, and 10%. 2 drops of mammalian blood is dropped into
each solution. Theoritically, the higher the concentration of the NaCl, the lower the time taken
for the cell to lyse which is the solution will become transparent. However, in this experiment, all
the solution do not changes to transparent due to some error during the experimental process.
 For macroscopic observation, we have used 5% NaCl, 0.9% NaCl, 0.4% NaCl, and
distilled water. A few red blood cells is added to the slides of each solution. Theoritically, for
distilled water and 0.4% NaCl solution has low osmotic concentration. The osmotic pressure of
the extracellular fluid is less than that of the intercellular fluid. As a result, water flows into the
cell, causing it to swell. Perhaps so much that the cell may undergo lysis. In this situation, the
extracellular fluid is said to be hypotonic. If a cell is placed into a solution with a higher osmotic
concentration than the intracellular fluid which is 5% NaCl solution, then the osmotic pressure of
the extracellular fluid will exceed that of the intracellular fluid. As a result, water will flow out of
the cell and into the extracellular fluid, causing the cell to shrink. In this case, the extracellular
fluid is said to be hypertonic. For 0.9% of NaCl solution, the osmotic concentrations of the
intracellular fluid and the extracellular fluid are the same, and none of these solutes can pass
through the cell membrane, then the osmotic pressures of the intracellular fluid and the
extracellular fluid will be the same, and no net osmosis will occur. The extracellular solution is
said to be isotonic. Cells removed from the body and placed in isotonic solutions will retain the
normal shape they have in the body. However, from the result that we obtained, the shape is
similar from one to another due to some error during the experimental process.

Cell permeability is the permitting or activating of the passage of substances into, out of, or
through cells or from one cell to another. These material traverse either the cell surface that
demarcates the living cytoplasm from the extracellular space or the boundaries between
adjacent cells. In many cases the materials also traverse the cell wall. The cell can control many
properties of its membranes, including those related to permeability. To determine effect of
molecular size on cell permeability by using three different solution with different molecular size
which is urea (MW 60), glycerine (MW 92), glucose (MW 180) and sucrose (MW 342).
Theoretically, when the molecular weight of a substance is high, the time taken for the red blood
cell to lyse is high. For urea and glycerine, they supposely able to diffuse through the cell
membrane the fastest as they are small and less likely to become trapped. High molecular
weight of substance like sucrose, the lyse time for red blood cell is slow because they are big
and are more likely to become trapped. However, the result that we obtained is totally different
due to few error which is the test tube that we use might be contaminated with other solution.
 Effect of lipid solubility on cell membrane can be determined by using alcohol. The
alcohol that have short hydrocarbon chain can penetrate the cell membrane more easily than
the alcohol that have long hydrocarbon chain. The smaller the hydrocarbon chain of alcohol, the
higher its ability to disrupt the hydrogen bonding in the cell membrane. As a result, the protein in
the cell membrane are denatured. The cell membrane is fall apart and release the red pigment
called anthrocyanin. For n-butyl and propyl alcohol, the hydrocarbon chain is longer, taking
more time to disrupt the organization of the cell membrane.
Conclusion

From the experiment, we are now able to differentiate between diffusion and osmosis. We are
also understood the effect of different concentration solutions on mammalian red blood cells and
the effect of molecular size and lipid solubility on cell permeability. As for the effect of molecular
size on cell permeability, the higher the molecular size, the more the time it took for the red
blood cell to lyse. As for the effect of lipid solubility on cell permeability, the alcohol that have
short hydrocarbon chain can penetrate the cell membrane more easily than the alcohol that
have long hydrocarbon chain.

References

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http://www.biologyjunction.com/osmosis_lab_example_2.htm

Diffusion and Temperature. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2018, from

https://learn.concord.org/resources/762/diffusion-and-temperature

Renkin, E. M. (1977). Multiple pathways of capillary permeability. Circulation

research, 41(6), 735-743. Retrieved from http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/41/6/735.short

Oldendorf, W. H. (1974). Lipid solubility and drug penetration of the blood brain
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