OSMOSIS SIMULATION 1

Osmosis Simulation

D.J. Ubinger

Honors Biology Period 3

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School

April 30, 2018

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Introduction

One of the purposes of the cell membrane is to regulate what enters and leaves the cell

and how much of the substance goes through. Diffusion is the process of moving from a high

concentration to a low concentration. Many substances diffuse across a cell membrane. One such

substance is water. Water uses channel proteins called aquaporins to go through the cell

membrane, a process known as osmosis. (Diffusion and passive transport, n.d.) However, not

everything can go through the cell membrane so easily. Similarly to airport security, some things

are too large or have some other quality that inhibits them from getting through. This is called

selective permeability. (Diffusion and passive transport, n.d.)

The environment a cell is placed in greatly affects the diffusion that occurs within it. A

hypertonic environment exists when there is a higher concentration of pure water outside of the

cell than inside of the cell. This results in water rushing into the cell to even out the water

concentration, making the cell swell and possibly burst. (Hypertonic and Hypertonic

Environments, n.d.) An isotonic environment occurs when the concentrations of pure water

inside and outside of the cell are equal, a state called equilibrium. Substances diffuse in order to

reach equilibrium. A hypertonic environment occurs when the concentration of pure water inside

the cell is greater than outside the cell. This results in water rushing out of the cell to bring the

cell to equilibrium, making the cell shrivel. (Hypertonic and Hypertonic Environments, n.d.)

This information can be used to help regulate the amount of water one needs to remain properly

hydrated. Having an imbalance of salt and water in one’s body, cells can rupture or shrivel.

In this laboratory, dialysis tubing is used. Dialysis tubing is a selectively permeable

material that will represent the cell membrane. Each simulated cell will be placed into an
 OSMOSIS SIMULATION 3

environment and its membrane’s permeability will be observed. The purposes of this lab are to

determine to which substances the cell membrane (represented by dialysis tubing) is permeable,

observe how osmosis affects the mass of a cell, and to observe the effects of various

environments on cells. In part one of this laboratory, the first beaker contains water and a

simulated cell filled with water. This represents an isotonic environment, because the

concentrations of pure water inside and outside of the cell are equal. The second, third, and

fourth beakers contain water and simulated cells filled with 20%, 40%, and 60% glucose

solution, respectively. These represent hypotonic environments because the higher concentration

of pure water is outside of the cell. (Osmosis, 2016) The fifth beaker is filled with 60% glucose

solution and two simulated cells: one containing water, and the other, 80% glucose solution. This

environment will be hypertonic to the simulated cell containing water because the higher

concentration of pure water is inside of the simulated cell, but hypotonic to the simulated cell

containing 80% glucose solution because the higher concentration of pure water is outside of the

simulated cell.

The independent variable for part one of this lab is the osmotic environment in which the

simulated cell is placed. The dependent variable is the change in mass of the simulated cells after

3-minute intervals. For part two, the independent variable is the iodine and the dependent

variable is the permeability of the simulated cell membrane. The constants in both parts of the

experiment are the beakers, dialysis tubing, string, pipettes, timer, and water source (tap). The

control group in part one of the lab is the simulated cell filled with water placed in water, and the

experimental groups are the other beaker and simulated cell combinations. For part two, the

control group is the starch in the simulated cell and the experimental group is the iodine added to

the water in which the simulated cell is placed. For part one of the lab, if osmosis occurs in the
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simulated cells, then the mass of those in isotonic environments will remain about the same, the

mass of those in hypotonic environments will increase, and the mass of those in hypertonic

environments will decrease. For the second part of the lab, if the simulated cell membrane is

selectively permeable, then the starch will remain in the simulated cell and the iodine will enter

the simulated cell.

Materials

 6 beakers

 Dialysis tubing

 String

 Water

 20% glucose solution

 40% glucose solution

 60% glucose solution

 80% glucose solution

 5 Pipettes

 Starch

 Iodine

 Timer

 Paper and writing utensil (to record data)

Procedures

Part 1:

1. Gather materials.
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2. Fill 4 beakers with 200ml of tap water and 1 beaker with 200ml of 60% glucose

solution.

3. Tie off one end of 6 pieces of dialysis tubing by folding the top end down, fold

across, then fold down again, and tie it with string.

4. Make the simulated cells by filling 2 dialysis tubes with 5ml of water, one with

5ml of 20% glucose solution, one with 5ml of 40% glucose solution, one with 5ml

of 60% glucose solution, and the last one with 80% glucose solution. Use pipettes

to do so.

5. Tie off the other end of the dialysis tubes. (refer to step 3)

6. Simultaneously place each simulated cell in to the following beakers: 1 water in a

water-filled beaker, the 20%, 40%, and 60% each in their own water-filled beaker,

and the 80% and the other water into the 60%-filled beaker.

7. After 3 minutes, simultaneously remove all the simulated cells from their beakers.

8. Weigh each simulated cell individually and record the data.

9. Simultaneously place each simulated cell back into its original beaker.

10. Repeat steps 7-9 once

11. Repeat steps 7-8 once

Part 2

1. Gather Materials

2. Tie off 1 end of a piece of dialysis tubing. (refer to step 3 of part 1)

3. Place 1 spoonful of starch into the dialysis tubing.

4. Add a few drops of water to the dialysis tubing.

5. Tie off the other end to finish the simulated cell. (refer to step 3 of part 1)
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6. Place the simulated cell into a beaker filled with enough water to submerge the

simulated cell.

7. Place 20 drops of iodine into the water in the beaker.

8. Wait for about 1 day. Record any changes that have occurred in the simulated cell

or beaker.

Results

Table 1: Change in Mass of Simulated Cells Due to Osmosis

Water in 20% in 40% in 60% in Water in 80% in

Water Water Water Water 60% 60%

Initial
0mg 0mg 0mg 0mg 0mg 0mg
Mass (mg)

Change in
Mass After 208mg 317mg 408mg 567mg -150mg 241mg
3 min (mg)
Change in
Mass After 291mg 534mg 800mg 1,009mg -533mg 316mg
6 min (mg)
Change in
Mass After 249mg 701m 1.108mg 1,409mg -783mg 399mg
9 min (mg)
Table 1 shows the changes in mass of the simulated cells after each 3-minute period. These are
the class average values.
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90% Mass vs. Time

80%
70%
60%
Mass (mg) 80% in 60%
50%
water in 60%
40%
60% in water
30%
40% in water
20%
20% in water
10% water in water
0%
0 3 6 9
Time (min)
0
Figure 1 displays the changes in mass after each 3-minute period. Most of the values leveled out
the longer they were in the beakers.
Part 1

The mass of the simulated cell filled with water and placed in water increased by 208mg

after 3 minutes, increased by 291mg after 3 more minutes, and then increased by 249mg after 3

more minutes. The mass of the simulated cell filled with 20% glucose solution and placed in

water increased by 317mg after 3 minutes, increased by 543mg after 3 more minutes, and

increased by 701mg after 3 more minutes. The mass of the simulated cell containing 40%

glucose solution increased by 408mg after 3 minutes, increased by 800mg after 3 more minutes,

and increased by 1,108mg after 3 more minutes. The mass of the simulated cell filled with 60%

glucose solution increased by 567mg after 3 minutes, increased by 1,009mg after 3 more

minutes, and increased by 1,409mg after 3 more minutes. The mass of the simulated cell

containing water placed in 60% glucose solution decreased by 150mg after 3 minutes, decreased

by 533mg after 3 more minutes, and decreased by 783mg after 3 more minutes. The mass of the

simulated cell containing 80% glucose solution that was placed in 60% glucose solution

increased by 241mg after 3 minutes, increased by 316mg after 3 more minutes, and increased by

399mg after 3 more minutes.

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Part 2

When first placed into the beaker, the contents of the simulated cell were white from the

starch, and the surrounding liquid was yellow from the iodine. When later observed, the contents

of the simulated cell had turned dark blue. The surrounding liquid did not turn blue.

Discussion

Part 1

In the simulated cell containing water in water, the mass fluctuated slightly throughout

the lab. Since it was an isotonic environment, this makes sense. Water has kinetic energy, and,

thus, is always moving across the cell membrane. In the simulated cells containing 20%, 40%,

and 60% glucose solution, the masses increased through the lab and at an increasing rate. This is

because the simulated cells were placed into a hypotonic environment, and gained mass as water

rushed in. If the lab continued for several more 3-minute periods, the rate would slow down as

each simulated cell got closer to reaching equilibrium. The mass of the simulated cell containing

water and placed into 60% glucose solution decreased through the lab because it was placed into

a hypertonic environment. Water rushed out of the simulated cell to bring it to equilibrium with

its environment. The simulated cell containing 80% glucose solution increased in mass through

the lab because it was in a hypotonic environment, just like the other simulated cells containing

glucose solution. It did not gain as much weight as the 20% simulated cell because there was a

considerably low concentration of water in both areas, so less osmosis occurred. Put in broader

terms, as the concentration gradient increases, so does the rate of osmosis.

Part 2

The color of the contents of the simulated cell changed because the dialysis tubing is

permeable to iodine, because it is a small molecule. The iodine entered the simulated cell and
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reacted with the starch, making it blue. The liquid around the simulated cell did not turn blue

because glucose is a macromolecule, or large molecule, and too large to go through the dialysis

tubing and react with the iodine outside of the simulated cell.

Some possible sources of human error in the lab are: inaccurate measurement, not

removing the simulated cells from their environments at exactly the same time, inconsistency

with each groups’ results, and the pieces of dialysis tubing not being exactly identical. To

improve this experiment, have fewer individuals participate in the lab to maximize consistency.
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References

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-

transport/passive-transport/a/diffusion-and-passive-transport

Diffusion and passive transport. (n.d.). Retrieved from Khan Academy:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/passive-

transport/a/diffusion-and-passive-transport

Hypertonic and Hypertonic Environments. (n.d.). Retrieved from www2.hawaii.edu:

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~johnb/micro/m140/syllabus/week/handouts/m140.9.2.html

Osmosis. (2016, December 25). Retrieved from Biology Online: https://www.biology-

online.org/dictionary/Osmosis