Cell Membrane Permeability Experiment

Study Notes

Miss Kroy is conducting a virtual lab experiment to explore the effect of different sugar concentrations on a cell-represented dialysis tube.
The experiment includes five beakers: A (control, no sugar), B (0% sugar), C (5% sugar), D (10% sugar), and E (15% sugar).
Each beaker contains the same volume (1000 ml) of water.
Sugar is added to beakers C, D, and E to create different sugar solutions.
Participants measure and record the mass of each dialysis tube (representing the cell) before and after being submerged in the sugar solutions for 24 hours.
The initial and final masses of each dialysis tube are compared to determine if water has entered or exited the tubes.
The goal is to observe changes in the mass of the dialysis tubes to understand how the external sugar environment affects the cell (represented by the tube).- Two groups of dialysis tubes were weighed before and after a 24-hour period.
Tubes B and C gained mass, suggesting water had entered them.
Bag E lost a significant amount of weight, indicating water had left.
A control group of pure water was used to provide a standard for comparison.
Tubes A and D, which had identical sugar concentrations inside and outside, did not change mass.
The cell responds to its external environment by allowing water to pass in or out based on concentration differences.
When there's a greater concentration of solids outside the cell, water leaves, causing the mass of the dialysis tube to increase (hypertonic solution).
Conversely, when there's a lower concentration of solids outside the cell, water enters, causing the mass of the dialysis tube to decrease (hypotonic solution).
The concepts of hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic were used to describe the solutions, based on their relative sugar concentrations.
Water flowed into or out of the tubing depending on the concentration gradient.
Passive transport, the process at play, involves water moving from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration, even if it goes against the sugar concentration gradient.

Description

Explore the effect of different sugar concentrations on a cell-represented dialysis tube by conducting a virtual lab experiment. Understand how the external sugar environment affects the cell and observe changes in the mass of the dialysis tubes to determine the movement of water based on concentration differences.