If you grill a steak, would it be better to put salt on it before or after you cooked it? Explain in terms of osmosis.

Name ___________________________________ Date ___________________ Period ____
Diffusion Virtual Lab
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS03/LS03.html
Background information:
A cell membrane permits some materials to pass through while keeping other materials out. Such a membrane is
called “selectively permeable.” Under normal conditions, water constantly passes in and out of this membrane.
This diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane is called osmosis. Like other substances, water
diffuses from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. When the movement of water
molecules in and out of a cell reaches the same rate, a state of equilibrium is reached.
If the concentration of water molecules is greater outside a cell, then the solution is hypotonic to the cell. Water
will move into the cell by osmosis. The pressure against the inside of the cell membrane will steadily increase. If
the pressure becomes great enough, the cell membrane will burst.
A solution is isotonic to the inside of the cell when there is the same concentration of water molecules on the
inside and outside of the cell membrane. To maintain equilibrium, water molecules move into and out of the cell at
the same rate.
Suppose a living cell is placed in a solution that has a higher salt concentration than the cell has. Such a solution is
hypertonic to the cell, because there are more salt ions and fewer water molecules per unit volume outside the cell
than inside. Water will move from the area of higher water concentration (inside the cell) to the area of lower water
concentration (outside the cell). The selectively permeable membrane does not allow salt ions to pass into the cell.
The cell shrinks as the cell loses water.
Objectives:
• Describe the process of osmosis
• Observe the movement of water through cell membranes during the process of osmosis
• Compare and contrast three osmotic states: hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic
Procedure: Red Blood Cell
__1. Select the red blood cell at the top of the screen and drag it into the hypotonic beaker.
__2. Observe the process of osmosis. Determine whether water (represented as blue arrows) moves into, stays
in equilibrium, or moves out of the cell. Observe what happens to the shape and size of the cell.
__3. Record your observations in the Data Table.
__4. Click at the bottom. Now drag the red blood cell to the isotonic beaker. Observe the process of
osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
__5. Click at the bottom. Now drag the red blood cell to the hypertonic beaker. Observe the process
of osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
Elodea Cell
__1. Select the elodea cell at the top of the screen and drag it into the hypotonic beaker.
__2. Observe the process of osmosis. Determine whether water (represented as blue arrows) moves into, stays
in equilibrium, or moves out of the cell. Observe what happens to the shape and size of the cell.
__3. Record your observations in the Data Table.
__4. Click at the bottom. Now drag the elodea cell to the isotonic beaker. Observe the process of
osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
__5. Click at the bottom. Now drag the elodea cell to the hypertonic beaker. Observe the process of
osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
Paramecium Cell
__1. Select the paramecium cell at the top of the screen and drag it into the hypotonic beaker.
__2. Observe the process of osmosis. Determine whether water (represented as blue arrows) moves into, stays
in equilibrium, or moves out of the cell. Observe what happens to the shape and size of the cell.
__3. Record your observations in the Data Table.
__4. Click at the bottom. Now drag the paramecium cell to the isotonic beaker. Observe the process
of osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
__5. Click at the bottom. Now drag the paramecium cell to the hypertonic beaker. Observe the
process of osmosis again and record your observations in the Data Table.
Cut out and place data table in lab journal
Data Table
Molecules
Name
Red Blood Cell:
Net Water
Movement
In or Out?
Red Blood Cell:
Appearance of
Cell
Elodea: Net
Water
Movement
In or Out?
Elodea:
Appearance of
Cell
Paramecium:
Net Water
Movement
In or Out?
Paramecium:
Appearance of
Cell
Hypotonic
Solution
Isotonic
Solution
Hypertonic
Solution
Analysis:
Answer the following questions in your lab journal
1. Did water move into or out of the cell while it was surrounded by a hypotonic solution?
2. Did water move into or out of the cell while it was surrounded by a hypertonic solution?
3. Did water move into or out of the cell while it was surrounded by an isotonic solution?
4. Compare and contrast what happens to an animal, a plant, and a paramecium cell in a hypotonic,
hypertonic, and isotonic solution.
5. Could elodea or paramecium from a freshwater lake be expected to survive if transplanted into the ocean?
Explain.
6. If you grill a steak, would it be better to put salt on it before or after you cooked it? Explain in terms of
osmosis.
7. Why does salad become soggy and wilted when the dressing has been on it for a while? Explain in terms
of osmosis.
8. An effective way to kill weeds is to pour salt water on the ground around the plants. Explain why the weeds
die, using the principles discovered in the virtual lab.
Lab Journal Format
Title
Purpose
Terms:
1. Selectively&permeable
2. Osmosis
3. Diffuse
4. Hypotonic
5. Isotonic
6. Hypertonic
Data&Table
Analysis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.