LAB REPORT INTRODUCTION

Witchayut Ngarmpornchai
Beam 5961183 #1002

Osmosis

All cell have cell membrane or plasma membrane. The cell membrane function is to
protect and organize the cell (Cell membranes, n.d., para 1). Cell membrane will control
what substance should or should not enter in and out the cell. Cell membrane are made up of
phospholipid bilayer, which it monomers are two fatty acid, one glycerol and phosphate
group (Cell membranes, n.d.).The phosphate group and glycerol create the phospholipid
bilayer head, which is polar. Two fatty acid create the phospholipid bilayer tail, which is non-
polar. Polar mean that the electron are share unequally between atoms, so it will have either
slightly positive or negative charge depend on the atom electronegativity. Non-polar mean
that the electron are share equally between atoms, so it will have no charge (Kurtus, 2016).
This factor create the arrangement of the phospholipid into bilayer sheet by it head will face
out and it tail will face in because there are water surrounding around the phospholipid
bilayer sheet. Water is polar, so it tail which is non-polar will face away from it. This create
selectively permeable membrane which it will let something pass and something dont in a
certain time.
There are two types of membrane transport, active and passive. Active transport is a
movement against the concentration gradient which mean from low to high concentration,
therefore energy is needed. Passive transport is a movement of solute along the concentration
gradient which mean from high to low concentration, therefore energy is not needed. There
are three types of passive transport simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis. Simple
diffusion is a movement of solute directly through the phospholipid bilayer, but only small
polar and non-polar molecule will use this kind of passive transport. Small polar will take
longer time to pass the phospholipid bilayer because they have slightly charge but small non-
polar molecule dont. Facilitated diffusion is a movement of solute through the phospholipid
bilayer by using the protein, like carrier and channel protein, this kind of passive transport
will be for large polar and non-polar, and ion molecule (Simple diffusion, n.d.). Osmosis is a
movement of water across directly through the phospholipid bilayer from a high to low
concentration of solvent or from less to high concentration of solute. Hypotonic is the
solution that low in solute concentration. Hypertonic is the solution that high in solute
concentration. Isotonic is the solution that have equal amount of concentration (Briers, 2012).
The solution that have high solute concentration will have less solvent concentration. The
solution that have less solute concentration will have high solvent concentration. Mean that if
an animal cell is put into the hypertonic solution, then water will come out more than come in
the cell, caused the cell to shrink. If an animal is put into hypotonic solution, then water will
come out less than come in the cell, caused the cell to swell and burst. If an animal cell is put
into the isotonic solution, then water will come in and come out the cell at the same amount,
so the cell will be normal. For the plant cell, if a plant cell is put into the hypotonic solution,
then water will come in more than come out the cell, but the plant cell wont burst because it
have vacuole that can store large amount of water and can increase it size (Vacuoles - Storage
Bins to the Cells, n.d.). Plant cell have cell wall that can hold the large increase of vacuole.
The cell wall have the turgor pressure that can prevent the cell it burst, so the result will be
beneficial for the cell. If the plant cell is put into the hypertonic solution, then the water will
come out more than come in the cell, result the cell to be plasmolysis or drying. If the plant
cell is put into the isotonic solution then, the water will come in and out and the same
amount, so the cell will be normal. These examples of osmosis have one condition which is
only the water can move across the membrane, not the solute. If the solute can move across
the membrane, then the result will be equilibrium. Equilibrium mean that they are equal in
concentration for both sides.
In this experiment, the isotonic solution is the empty beaker, the hypotonic solution is
distilled water and the hypertonic solution is the salt concentrated water. Use the jellies and
potatoes in different situation like hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic solution. The movement
of the water will be record by the potatoes and jellies mass and volume. If the mass and
volume is increase, then it can be conclude that the water come inside it more than come out
of it. If the mass and volume is decrease, then it can be conclude that the water come inside it
less than come out of it.

References:

Cell membranes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/cell-

membranes-14052567
Kurtus, R. (2016, September 19). Polar and Non-Polar Molecules. Retrieved from
http://users.stlcc.edu/gkrishnan/polar.html
Simple diffusion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biology-
online.org/dictionary/Simple_diffusion
Briers, D. (2012, November 4). Difference between Hypertonic, Hypotonic, Isotonic
Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.dbriers.com/tutorials/2012/11/difference-between-
hypertonic-hypotonic-isotonic-solutions/
Vacuoles - Storage Bins to the Cells. (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_vacuole.html