Homeostasis Lab

By: Gabriela Simoni and Luisa Freire

Purpose
The purpose of this lab assignment is to demonstrate how the cell uses the
process of diffusion, osmosis, and passive transport to maintain a
homeostatic environment.
Background Information
Homeostasis is the constant internal environment that the cell needs to
maintain so it can stay alive. As the conditions around the cell keep changing
because of the materials that come in and out of it all the time, it is hard to
maintain the homeostasis. The cell membrane is what separates the cell from
its environment and regulates what comes in and out of the cell, which is very
important for homeostasis.
Hypothesis
If the potato slices sit in the distilled water and in the 20% NaCl solution for 30
minutes, then their turgidity will change. The potato slice in distilled water will
become harder and the potato slice in the 20% NaCI solution will be softer,
comparing to the control slice that is on the table. This happens because the
potato in distilled water will absorb
Materials
3 Potato Slices
Distilled Water
20% NaCI Solution
2 Dishes

Experimental Set Up Diagram

Procedure (In Steps)

1. Put one slice of potato in each dish and the other on top of the table
(as it is the control variable);
2. Put distilled water in one dish and the 20% NaCl solution in the other,
on top of the potato slices;

3. Leave the potato sit for 30 minutes;

4. After 30 mins, observe the 2 potato slices and compare them to the
control.
Gather Data
Treatment:

Observations:

Potato on
table (control)

The potato placed on the table stayed the same throughout all the
experiment. Its turgidity and texture did not change.

Potato in
distilled water

At the beginning, the potato in distilled water was the same as the
control potato, not too soft but not too hard, just normal. After 30
minutes, the stiffness of the potato increased and it got really rigid,
with a rougher texture.

Potato in NaCl
solution

The potato in NaCl was also at first just like the other two slices. After
the 30 minutes, it got softer and flexible, with a smooth texture.

Data Analysis
After the two potato slices rested in the two substances for 30 minutes, we
could observe some changes in their texture and turgidity. Turgor is the rigidity
of plants or vegetables due to the quantity of water found in their cell
vacuoles. As water is gained, the potato gets stiffer and as it is lost, it gets
softer.
In the dishes, process of diffusion happened with the potato slice in
1.The term diffusion is when a substance passes from a high concentration to
a low concentration.
2) The stiffness and texture of the potato slices in distliled water has changed
compared to the control, as it got harder and
3.The potato on the distilled water increased because the water went inside
the potato.
4) The water in the potato with distilled water entered the potato
5.The potato on the 15% NaCI solution was softer.
6) The turgidity of the potato in 20% solution has decreased, as it ended up
more soft
7.The water leaved the vegetables because it was softer and the water in the
vegetable went left the vegetable.
8) Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from high water amounts to low
water amounts across a membrane, which is from low solutes to high solutes.

9.The passive transport is when the transport doesn't uses energy end active
transport is when it uses energy.
10. The difference between endocytosis and exocytosis is that exocytosis
moves the big, complex like proteins out of the cell membrane, while
endocytosis is the process that moves large particles into a cell

Conclusion
Finally, we can conclude by our investigation that our hypothesis was right,
the potato slices in the dish containing distilled water got harder and stiffer,
while the potato slice in the 20% NaCI solution got softer. This happened
because the salt on the NaCI solution got in the potato and made it softer,
while the salt of the potato on the distilled water, the salt of the potato left the
potato and the water went in the potato.