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Topic: Cells

Title: Permeability of beetroot

Design
Aim: To investigate osmosis in a beetroot using different sucrose concentrations.

Research Question:

How do different concentrations of sucrose solution affect the cell membrane permeability of
beetroot through osmosis when the length and the surface area of the beetroots are kept constant?

Background:

There are two types of transportation which includes passive and active transport. Osmosis
comes under passive transport, which is the movement of water particles from their high
concentration to their low concentration through a semi permeable membrane. Water will keep
moving to its lower concentration until equilibrium is established. This will result in a net flow
of water to the side with the solution till equilibrium. Osmosis always takes place towards the
potential gradients and does not require energy.

There are two types of osmosis, endosmosis (to enter) and exosmosis (to exit). And there are
three types of solutions hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic solutions. A hypertonic solution has a
greater concentration of solute outside of cell than inside and in such type of solution exosmosis
takes place that is, there is net movement of water from the cell to the solution across a semi-
permeable membrane.

In a hypotonic solution there is greater concentration of solute inside cell than outside. And in
such a type of solution endosmosis takes place that is, there is net movement of water into the
cell from the solution across a semi-permeable membrane.

In an isotonic solution the concentration inside cells is equal to that of the solution and there is
No net movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane (although there is osmosis). 1



http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_hypertonic_and_hypotonic_and_isotonic_mean

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undependent Variable Concentration of sucrose solution

Units percentage (e.g. 10 grams of sucrose in 100 ml
of water= 10% concentration)
Range 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%
How was it manipulated? In order to take different concentrations of
sucrose, different masses of sucrose was
dissolved in 100ml of water. For example,
when 10 grams of sucrose was dissolved in
100ml of water it gave a solution of 10%
concentrated sucrose. The same was done to
get 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% concentrated
solution.
To make the experiment more systematic and
to avoid any chances of mistake, five beakers
were marked with the five different
concentrations. And after the sucrose was
measured using a digital weighing machine it
was poured using a conical flask to prevent the
sucrose falling out of the beaker.

Dependent Variable Change in mass of the beetroot

Units Grams (g)
Range Before conducting the experiment the
measured mass of all the cylinders of beetroot
were 2g.
How was it recorded/ measured? A digital weighing machine having an
uncertainty of 0.01g was used to measure the
mass of the cylinders of beetroot. Before
putting the pieces of beetroot in the sucrose
solutions, its mass was measured. After an
hour the pieces were taken out using tongs and
their masses were measured again, to calculate
the change in mass.

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How would it impact the result?

{ontrolled Variable Length (4.5 cm) and surface area The same length and surface area will
(9.05 cm2) of the beetroot ensure that in all the different sucrose
cylinders. concentrations have the same type of
beetroot in it. If they were different the
analysis of the data would not be
accurate as the different lengths or
surface area would affect the amount of
water entering or leaving the beetroot.
This in turn would have affected its
mass.
Amount of water (100ml) in The 100ml of water was poured in the
which different concentration of beakers with the help of a measuring
sucrose were made. cylinder which had an uncertainty of
±0.01 ml.
The amount of water was kept the same
in order to make it easier for us to make
the calculation easier while preparing
the different concentrations of sucrose.
If 200ml of water would have been
taken, then addition of 10grams of
sucrose in it would have only give 5
percent of sucrose concentration.
Type of solution of which The solution which was chosen was
different concentration was taken. sucrose because it is a disaccharide,
which means it neither has too small
molecules nor too large. If different
types of solutions were taken, then it
wouldn¶t have given accurate data for
the analysis of osmosis.
Time for which the beetroot All the beetroot cylinders were kept for
cylinders were kept in the water. an hour, so that osmosis occurred
successfully in each solution and we
could get accurate data. If one beetroot
was taken out earlier than the other,
then we cannot say that exosmosis or
endosmosis has occurred successfully.
How would they be The beetroot cylinders would be cut from the same beetroot using the same
controlled? Cork borer of surface area 9.05 cm2. The meter rule having an uncertainty
of 0.1cm was used to cut 4.5 cm of beetroot cylinders.

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a pothesis:

When a cylindrical piece of beetroot is kept in a 10% concentration of sucrose, the mass of the
beetroot will increase due to endosmosis. This is because the solution here is hypotonic in nature.
As the concentration of sucrose is increased the solution goes on to become hypertonic in nature
and exosmosis starts occurring. The change in mass (decrease or increase) will tell whether
exosmosis or endosmosis has occurred.

Apparatus and Materials:

1. 5 Beakers (400 ml)

2. Distilled Water (100ml)
3. 5 Beetroot cylinders (4.5 cm length)
4. Digital Weighing machine
5. Stirring rod
6. Sucrose (10g, 20g, 30g, 40g, 50g)
7. Petri dish
8. Meter rule
9. Cork borer (surface area: 9.05 cm2)
10.Measuring cylinder
11.Tong
12.Conical flask
Method:

1. ainse all apparatus with tap water. (Beaker, stirrer etc.)

2. Wipe with filter paper, to remove the extra water left, this is to ensure that some of the
sucrose does not dissolve with that extra water.
3. Write the percentage concentrations on the five beakers in order to perform the
experiment systematically. (E.g. 10%, 20% and so on)
4. Put the Petri dish on the digital weighing machine and tare it.
5. Weigh 10g, 20g, 30g, 40g and 50g of sucrose one by one put them in the beakers marked
in step 3.
6. Measure 100ml of distilled water in the measuring cylinder and pour it in beaker 1 which
is marked (10%)
7. aepeat step 6 for the other four beakers.
8. Stir the solution continuously for 10 minutes to dissolve the sucrose properly. This is to
ensure that that all the sucrose has dissolved and the solution has become the percentage
concentration of sucrose, which it was required to be.
9. While the sucrose is getting dissolved prepare the cylinders of beetroot.
10.With the help of cork borer cut 5 cylinders of beetroots of length 4.5 cm
11.Measure the mass of each beetroot and place it one by one in each beaker for an hour
12.After an hour, with the help of a tong, take out the beetroot from beaker the beakers and
measure their masses.
13.Analyze the data recorded.

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