Osmosis

Group 1 - Lorenzo Daniel L. Antonio, Paolo Carlo Calalang, Timothy Carandang, Oneil Joshua Calderon, MHAB1

Submitted to: Maam Elena M. Ragragio Submitted: September 20, 2012 Introduction Osmosis is diffusion through a semipermeable membrane. It is critical to a cells life. Changes in cells environment can affect greatly balanced movement of water and solutes in and out. Osmosis has the same mechanism on both plant and animal cells but the effect it has on the appearance of plant cell is different than it has on animal cell. Objectives 1. To observe the effects of osmosis in plant cells; 2. To understand more how osmosis works, especially on plant cells. Hypothesis In the presence of salt solution, plant cell membrane will shrink away from its cell wall. Methodology Materials: Bangka-bangkaan Razor blade Distilled water 5% salt solution Procedure: Thin sections of the lower epidermis of bangka-bangkaan were stripped off. Then, a wet mount of the plant specimen was made and examined on the microscope using the LPO. After turgid cells were seen and sketched, water from the wet mount was drawn off and replaced with a 5% salt solution. Changes seen in the plant cells were observed under the LPO and were sketched.

Results

Discussion Bangka-bangkaans cells were at first turgid. Water moves in an out of the cell, balanced in both directions. Cells remained in a state of equilibrium because of an environment of pure water. When pure water was replaced by 5% salt solution, appearance of the plant cells changed. The protoplasm of the cell shrunk away from the cell wall, leaving it intact. This is because of a different environment of salt solution. More water comes out of the cell, making the protoplasm shrink away from the cell wall. Plant cell walls remain intact because its composition of hemicelluloses and pectin can withstand osmotic pressures. References J. Mauseth, Botany, 2009 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc., p. 269.