Diffusion And Osmosis Lab Report

Abstract

Diffusion and osmosis in living cells are greatly effected by factors such as solution concentration, temperature, and surface area of the cell. This was studied using agar cubes of different sizes, dialysis tubing, and potato cores to demonstrate how the different factors affect cells. The process of cellular respiration can be altered due to temperature differences. Enzymes also greatly affect the molecular processes that occur. Enzymes are denatured at variety of pH and causes inactivity of the enzyme in the reactions.

Introduction

Cells are all around us and must do cellular processes to live. Although all cells on earth have cellular processes, not all are living under the same conditions. Conditions on earth vary in concentration,

In one test tube 0.1M of HCl was added. In the other test tube, 0.1M of NaOH was added. Color change occurred in the NaOH solution. Three agar cubes were cut in 1X1X1 cm, 1X1X2 cm, and 1X0.5X2 cm lengths. Surface area and volume were calculated to get ratios of 6:1, 5:1, and 7:1. Cubes were placed in separate test tubes. In each test tube we covered the cubes with HCl. Time was recorded to show absorption speed when the cube changed color from light pink to clear (table 1).

Five dialysis tubing was filled with either NaCl, glucose, sucrose, distilled water, or ovalbumin. The dialysis tubes were weighed for starting weight. Each dialysis tube was placed in a separate beaker with 250ml of distilled water. Five minutes was allowed for osmosis and diffusion to occur. Weight was recorded for final weight and to calculate the change in weight that occurred for each tube. For the second portion of lab, five beakers were filled with 250ml of distilled water and filled each dialysis tube with 10 ml of either NaCl, sucrose, glucose, ovalbumin, and distilled water. Weight was obtained for the starting weight. The beakers of distilled water were placed on a hot plate and temperature was raised to 50 C°. Dialysis tubes were placed in beakers for five minutes and then final weight was recorded of each