SAINT LOUIS SCHOOL

Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

Telefax #: (078) 326-7458
saintlouisschoolofsolano@yahoo.com

OSMOSIS AND
DIFFUSION
(A Laboratory Report)

Submitted by:
Evangelyn C. Galera
Submitted to:
Mrs. Pedelou D. Soriano
 I. ABSTRACT
The experiments are conducted for the attainment of more knowledge about the different
transport movements across the cell membranes of cells. The original observations on the
specimens and the materials for experimentation are recorded before the experiment proper.
After the time allotted for the experiment to be left undisturbed, the changes in each set-up are
then collected and recorded for comparison or correlation to the original values or observations
acquired during the first data gathering.
After all the experiments are conducted, analysis of the changes follows. In this part of the
experiment, the mode of transfer used by the two solutions to transport from one solution to
another is then recognized and the changes proved that a certain transmission of molecules
took place during the experiment.

II. INTRODUCTION
The cell membrane acts as the protective barrier of the cells. It regulates the transport
between the interior and exterior environment of the cell which is why it is considered as a
semi-permeable membrane. The cell membrane also allows cell recognition and it provides
anchoring sites for the filaments of the cytoskeleton.
It comprises of assorted biological molecules that causes its semi-permeability. Such
compositions allow different molecules to pass through it and lets the molecules undergo a
variety of processes such as diffusion and osmosis.
Diffusion, defined as the movement of molecules from high to law concentration, is one of
the processes which allow the passage of molecules inside the cell. It has two sub branches
namely: simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. Simple diffusion doesn’t need any channel
to pass through the cell membrane. It is a passive transport where energy is not needed.
Facilitated diffusion on the other hand needs the support of the transmembrane proteins to be
able to enter the cell and just like simple diffusion, it is a passive transport and no energy is
needed during the process.
Osmosis is simply defined as the diffusion of water from high concentration of water
(hypotonic) to low concentration of water (hypertonic). Hypotonic water is mostly fresh water
while hypertonic water is mostly salt water. If the tonicity of the two solutions are balanced,
then it is isotonic and no osmosis is done. Water passes through a water channel called
aquaporin in the process of osmosis.
Having to understand the processes and principles of the molecular transport of cells gives
an individual an advantage to foresee and substantiate the events inside each cell in our body.
To be able to grasp more knowledge about how the biological molecules are being transferred
and administered within a cell, a number of experiments are carried out for further observations
namely: (a) Naked Egg Experiment (Parts 1 & 2); (b) Potato experiment with Sugar Solutions;
(c) Osmosis in Artificial Membranes; (d) Potato Experiment with Salt Solution; (e)Potassium
Permanganate Diffusion and (f) Onion Skin with Salt Solution or Plasmolysis.

III. OBJECTIVES
The ultimate function of these following experiments are to provide constructive data about
osmosis and diffusion. It also aims to contribute more knowledge to the students about the
process of osmosis and diffusion as well as the tonicity of certain solutions. The experiments
also aim to enlighten the minds of the students about how solutions are made without actions
aiding each mixture.
IV. HYPOTHESIS
1) NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART 1)
- The shell of the egg will be softened due to the acidic composition of the vinegar.
The vinegar’s acid will slowly soften the eggshell after 1-2 days that the egg is
submerged in the vinegar solution.
2) POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SUGAR SOLUTION
- The sugar solution will be absorbed by the potato due to the soft composition of it.
After that, the sugar solution will then be excreted by the potato to the distilled
water.
3) OSMOSIS IN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES
 - The iodine solution will penetrate the plastic then it will be thoroughly mixed with
the starch solution after 30 minutes. The starch solution will then be colored fully
violet.
4) POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SALT SOLUTION
- The water with more salt will grow bigger than the water with lesser salt. The more
the salt, the greater the flexibility of the potato fries shaped potatoes.
5) POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE SOLUTION
- The potassium permanganate dropped in the hot water will disperse more rapidly
compared to the potassium permanganate poured into the cold water. The hot water
will dissolve the potassium permanganate faster due to its high temperature.
6) ONION SKIN WITH SALT SOLUTION
- The presence of the salt in the solution administered to the onion specimens will
dehydrate them. The dehydration will reveal more specific parts of the onion cell
under the microscope. The specimen administered with the solution with more salt
will display sharper images under the microscope,
7) NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART II)
- The egg emerged on the honey solution will gain more weight than the egg
submerged in distilled water.

V. MATERIALS AND METHODS

 Materials
A. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART 1)
 2 Fresh eggs
 2 Beakers
 Vinegar
B. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SUGAR SOLUTION
 Potato
 Knife
 Sugar
 Spoon
 Chopping board
 Petri dish
 Pins
 Distilled water
C. OSMOSIS IN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES
 Starch
 Beaker
 Dropper
 Zipper bag/ Ice candy plastic
 Water
D. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SALT SOLUTION
 potatoes
 6 beakers
 Salt
 Water
 Weighing scale
E. POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE SOLUTION
 Potassium permanganate
 2 beakers
 Hot and cold water
F. ONION SKIN WITH SALT SOLUTION
 Salt
 Onion
 Glass slide
 Cover slip
 Microscope
  Methylene blue
 Chopping board
G. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART II)
 2 beakers
 Distilled water
 Honey

 Methods

A. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART I)

Two fresh eggs in its prime condition are prepared and washed thoroughly
in a running water. The mass of each egg is then acquired and recorded by weighing
each of them on a digital weighing scale. The eggs are then placed separately inside
a beaker (Broken eggs must not be used and must be replaced with a fresh one).
After carefully putting the eggs inside the two beakers, vinegar is then poured into
each beaker until the eggs are soaked in it. The set-up is then observed details and
changes are recorded. The experiment is then left for 1-2 days and the changes after
those days are recorded.

B. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SUGAR SOLUTION (OSMOMETER)

A potato is thinly scrapped to remove its skin then both ends of the potato
is sliced to make it even/flat. The central part of the potato is then removed near the
bottom with the use of knife. Afterwards, a 25 ml water is placed inside a beaker
with the addition of three spoonful of sugar to make a sugar solution. Set aside the
solution. A petri dish is filled with water half full then the potato with a cavity at
the center is settled on it. The center of the potato cavity is then half filled with the
sugar solution. A pin is placed on the level of the sugar solution to mark its initial
position. After 2 hours, the results are recorded and the changes in the sugar
solution is marked.
C. OSMOSIS IN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES
A beaker is filled with water and starched is mixed to make a starch solution.
A 10 ml iodine solution is put in an ice candy plastic using a dropper. The plastic
bag is then checked for leaks and was settled in the beaker with starch solution and
is let alone undisturbed for half an hour (30 minutes). Observations and data
changes are then recorded.

D. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SALT SOLUTION

A potato is peeled and is divided into 18 identical strips (French fries style)
in total. Each potato strip is measured (in centimeters) and the measurements
gathered are recorded. Six clean beakers, each with 100 ml water is then mixed with
varying amounts of salt. The first beaker with 1-g, second with 2-g up to the last
beaker with 6-gram salt. In each solution, three strips of potato are placed and left
undisturbed for 20 minutes. The changes are recorded and compared after 20
minutes.

E. POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE DIFUSSION

Two beakers are prepared: one with cold water and the other with hot water.
Potassium permanganate crystals are dropped at the same time on both beakers with
waters of different temperature. Observations are then recorded.

F. ONION SKIN WITH SALT SOLUTION (PLASMOLYSIS)

Salt solutions are prepared in two different beakers with 100 ml of water.
The first solution contains 2 spoonful of salt and the second solution contains 5
spoonful of salt. Methylene blue is mixed with the two solutions. Two onion skins
are placed on separate glass slides and covered with a cover slips. The first one is
added with the solution with lesser salt and the second one with the solution
 containing more salt. The specimen is left undisturbed for 30 minutes then
afterwards observed under a microscope.

G. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART II)

After two days, the egg is checked and further observations on the eggs
exterior and interior aspects are observed. The vinegar is carefully removed from
each beaker with egg. The eggs are washed in water. Two beakers are prepared—
one with distilled water and one with honey. Egg 1 is placed in the beaker with
distilled water and egg 2 is settled on the beaker with honey. The experiment is left
undisturbed for another 24 hours and the data and observations are recorded after
the experiment.

VI. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

A. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART I)

WEIGHT SIZE
BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER
EGG 1 64 kg 81 kg Normal Enlarged
EGG 2 64 kg 90 kg Normal Enlarged
The size of the eggs grew bigger together with the increase of their weight
after 4 days of emergence in vinegar. Egg 1 with a beginning weight of 64 kg gained
16 g while egg 2 with also an initial weight of 64 g, gained 17 g. The vinegar is the
hypotonic solution while the egg is hypertonic thus, the water from the vinegar was
transferred to the egg through a process called osmosis.

B. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SUGAR SOLUTION

ORIGINAL AFTER 20 MINUTES
MEASUREMENT
SUGAR SOLUTION 15 ml 20 ml
DISTILLED WATER 15 ml 10 ml
The sugar solution inside the cavity of the potato increased after 20
minutes while the distilled water in the petri dish decreased. The sugar solution is
hypertonic and the distilled water is hypotonic that is why through the process of
osmosis, water travelled through the potato, which served as the medium of
transfer, to the cavity which caused the changes in the measurements solutions.

C. OSMOSIS IN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES

COLOR
BEFORE AFTER
STARCH SOLUTION White Violet and white
The iodine solution inside the ice
candy plastic is submerged into the starch
solution. After 30 minutes of emergence of
the iodine solution in the starch solution,
the iodine started to move out of the plastic
and was fused with the starch solution
changing its original color (white) to
violet. This is due to the process of osmosis
that happened between the two solutions. The starch solution is hypertonic while
the iodine solution is hypotonic. Through osmosis, the iodine solution travelled
through the plastic as its artificial medium of transportation to the starch solution.
The experiment is left alone for a day. The next day, the iodine solution turned half
of the starch solution into violet.
 D. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SALT SOLUTION

Size Color Flexibility

Amount of

Amount of
potatoes
beakers

water
# of

# of

salt
Before After
Length Width Height Length Height Before After Before After

1 1a 100 ml 1 gram 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.5 cm 1.0 cm Yellowish Yellowish Crisp Crisp
1b 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 1.0 cm white white
1c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.5 cm 1.0 cm
2 2a 100 ml 2 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 1.0 cm Yellowish Yellowish Crisp Slightly
2b grams 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.4 cm 0.9 cm white white flexible
2c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.2 cm 1.0 cm
3 3a 100 ml 3 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.1 cm 0.8 cm Yellowish Brownish Crisp Slightly
3b grams 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.1 cm 0.8 cm white white flexible
3c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.0 cm 0.8 cm
4 4a 100 ml 4 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.9 cm Yellowish Brownish Crisp Moderately
4b grams 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.2 cm 0.8cm white white flexible
4c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.9 cm
5 5a 100 ml 5 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.6 cm Yellowish Light Crisp Flexible
5b grams 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.6 cm white brown
5c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.6 cm
6 6a 100 ml 6 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.7 cm Yellowish Brown Crisp Flexible
6b grams 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.9 cm white
6c 5.7 cm 0.7 cm 1.1 cm 5.3 cm 0.9 cm
Six beakers are filled with 100 ml water. Varying amounts of salt are mixed to the water
in the beakers as seen in the table above with 1-g as the least amount and 6-g as the most amount
of salt. Three strips of potato is placed in each beaker and is left undisturbed for 2 days. It can be
inferred that the more the salt in the solution, the greater the decrease in size of the potatoes but
based on the table above, the data gathered in the experiment doesn’t show a clear evidence of the
gradual decrease because the sizes recorded are not consistently decreasing. The color of the
potatoes also changed from yellowish white to brown depending on the amount of salt present in
the water they are emerged in. the flexibility of the potatoes is also affected by the salt solution
because it is hypotonic and the salt water is hypertonic. Through osmosis, the water from the
potatoes transferred to the salt solution causing it to be more flexible than its original crisp
characteristic.

E. POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE DIFUSSION

TEMPERATURE OF SPEED OF COLOR

WATER DIFFUSION
HOT Fast Dark violet
COLD Slow Gradient of light to
dark violet
Two the same amounts of potassium permanganate are poured at the same
time in a hot and cold water. The potassium permanganate poured in the hot water
diffused faster and is more precisely blended while the potassium permanganate
poured in the cold water disentangled slowly and is not mixed well. The color of
the solution in hot water is also darker than the solution made in the cold water.
These changes are caused by simple diffusion which acted in disseminating the
potassium permanganate to the water.

F. ONION SKIN WITH SALT SOLUTION (PLASMOLYSIS)

2 spoonfuls of salt/ 100 mL 5 spoonfuls of salt/ 100 mL
water water
Size of onion cells after 30 Lesser degree of shrinkage of greater degree of shrinkage of
minutes of incubation the onion cell the onion cell
View of the onion cell Less clearer images are seen The parts are more visible and
through the microscope clearer
The onion cells were emerged in the salt solutions with different amount of salt. Onion cell 2 is
emerged into the solution with more salt and is observed under the microscope to portray a clearer
image because it is more dehydrated than the onion cell emerged in the solution with lesser salt.
This happened through the process of osmosis where the water molecules moved out of the onion
cell.
G. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART II)
WEIGHT SIZE HARDNESS OF EGG
YOLK
BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER
(part 1) (part 1)
EGG 1 81 kg 68 kg Enlarged Smaller Soft Hard
EGG 2 90 kg 92 kg Enlarged Larger Soft Soft
After five days, the eggs submerged in vinegar had their shells softened for easier peeling and to
show its transparency. The eggs are then submerged again in separate beakers. One with honey
and one with distilled water. The eggs are left undisturbed for a day. Egg 1 which have an initial
weight of 81 kg lost 13 grams causing it to shrink after being submerged in honey while egg 2 with
an initial weight of 90 kg gained another 2 g and bloated once again after its emergence to the
distilled water. The egg yolk of egg 1 is hardened while the egg yolk of the egg 2 did not harden.
In the first set-up (honey and egg), the honey is the hypertonic substance while the egg is the
hypotonic one. By osmosis, the water from the egg was transported to the honey. On the second
set-up (distilled water and egg), the distilled water is hypotonic and the egg is hypertonic. The
distilled water went towards the egg and through osmosis, transport is done.
VII. RECCOMENDATION
VIII. CONCLUSION
IX. DOCUMENTATTION

A. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART I)

B. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SUGAR SOLUTION

C. OSMOSIS IN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES

D. POTATO EXPERIMENT WITH SALT SOLUTION

֍Beaker 1 ֍ Beaker 2 ֍ Beaker 3

֍Beaker 4 ֍ Beaker 5 ֍ Beaker 6

E. POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE DIFUSSION

F. ONION SKIN WITH SALT SOLUTION (PLASMOLYSIS)
֍LPO (lesser salt) ֍ LPO (more salt)

֍MPO (less salt) ֍ MPO (more salt)

֍HPO (lesser salt) ֍ HPO (more salt)

G. NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT (PART II)

֍Before the experiment

֍After the experiment