Valladores Eunice Grace M.

Date Performed: August 06, 2009 Group 1 Date Submitted: August 24, 2009

Cell Transport
I. Objectives
The purpose of this laboratory activity is the students will: a. Hypothesize about experiment in the laboratory. b. Describe the movement of particles across the cell membrane. c. Explain the difference between hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic solutions and how cells react in each of these solutions using the knowledge of cell membrane structure. d. Observe living tissue undergoing diffusion and osmosis.

II. Methodology
The experiment was divided into two parts. The first experiment was called Part A. It was about the potato cell. The first step we did was we labeled two cups with our groups name and we wrote salt solution on one cup and plain water on the other. Second, we obtained two slices of potato that were approximately same in size and we found their dimensions and recorded them in a table. Third, we put the first potato slice in the salt solution cup and covered it with salt water. Then, we put the second potato slice in the plain water cup and covered it with plain water. We left the potato slices in the solution overnight. Lastly, we recorded the final dimension of the potato slices on the following day. The second experiment, Part B, was about the plasmolysis of a plant cell. The first step we did was we made a wet mount of red onion skin and we observed also the cell on low power and high power. Lastly, we drew a cell and its contents on our data sheet including also their magnification and few observations.

III. Data and Computations IV. Discussion of Results/Analysis

Part A: Problem: Effect of placing the potato slices to a salt solution and distilled water. Hypothesis 1: If the potato slice is placed to a salt solution then its size will decrease. Hypothesis 2: If the potato slice is placed to distilled water then its size will be the same. Osmosis is the process of diffusion of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane. It occurs in response to the concentration of solutes dissolved in water. The three types of solutions based on solute concentration are hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic. The potato cells shrunk and pulled away from cell wall because the osmosis that undergone was on a hypertonic solution which means that the concentration of solutes is higher than the concentration of solutes inside the cell so the water diffuses out of the cell. Wilting or the process of the pulling away or shrinking of the cell membrane from the cell wall is called plasmolysis.

The potato cells became firm because the osmosis that undergone was on a hypotonic solution which means that the concentration of solutes is lower than the concentration of solutes inside the cell so the water was absorbed by the central vacuole. Turgor pressure is the pressure exerted by water inside the cell against the cell wall. It is important to the plant cells because it gives them the rigidness to stand straight and continue normal cellular functions. The independent variable in this experiment was the type of solution we used because it was the factor that affected the value of other variables dependent to it. The dependent variable was the changes that happened to each potato slice because it is the factor whose value changes when the independent variable is changed. The control in this experiment was the size of the potato slice because its value was constant or did not change My data supported my hypotheses because the set-ups we have done and the hypotheses have the same results. In set-up A (distilled water), the initial and final dimensions were the same. It proved the hypothesis 2: If the potato slice is placed to distilled water then its size will be the same. In set-up B (salt solution), the final dimension increased compared to the initial dimension of the potato slice. It proved the hypothesis 1: If the potato slice is placed to a salt solution then its size will decrease. Part B: Problem: Effect of placing a drop of salt solution on the onion skin. Hypothesis: If the onion skin is placed a drop of salt solution then it will shrivel and shrink. The onion cells shrunk and pulled away from cell wall because the osmosis that undergone was on a hypertonic solution which means that the concentration of solutes I s higher than the concentration of solutes inside the cell so the water diffuses out of the cell. Wilting or the process of the pulling away or shrinking of the cell membrane from the cell wall is called plasmolysis. If the onion is not placed a drop of salt solution, it will became firm because the osmosis that undergone was on a hypotonic solution which means that the concentration of solutes is lower than the concentration of solutes inside the cell so the water was absorbed by the central vacuole. Turgor pressure is the pressure exerted by water inside the cell against the cell wall. It is important to the plant cells because it gives them the rigidness to stand straight and continue normal cellular functions. Based on this laboratory activity (part A and B), I conclude that: Osmosis occurs in response to the concentration of solutes dissolved in water. Therefore, the effects of osmosis in plant cells are also dependent on the type of solution they will be placed. In a hypertonic solution, plant cells became plasmolyzed because it lost too much water. Therefore, the cells in hypertonic solutions usually die because the cells activities are disrupted by the lack of water. In a hypotonic solution, plant cells increases its water content because the central vacuole absorbs it. Therefore, plant cells on this solution became turgid.

V. Conclusion
When water molecules are the ones who move across a semi-permeable membrane it is called osmosis. This kind of transport does not utilize energy or ATP. Therefore, water

moves across a membrane from high concentration to low concentration and moves down its concentration gradient. The three types of solutions based on solute concentration are hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic. In a hypertonic solution, the concentration of solutes is higher than the concentration of solutes inside the cell. In a hypotonic solution, the concentration of solutes is lower than the concentration of solutes inside the cell. In an isotonic solution, the concentration of solutes equals the concentration of solutes inside the cell. When a plant cell is in a hypertonic solution, the cell will wilt because the cell has lost its water. When the plant cell is in a hypotonic solution, the cell will become turgid because it has a central vacuole that absorbs the water and maintains its shape. When the plant cell is in an isotonic solution, the cell will become flaccid because of the continuous entry and exit of water.