BIO 1133 Exercise 5 (Diffusion and Osmosis)

Materials: Potassium Permanganate crystals

Beaker
Ringer’s salt solution
Slide
3% salt solution
Cover Slip
Distilled water
Microscope
Procedure:
1.) Add a few potassium permanganate crystals to a beaker with water.
Observe the results.

2.) Put drop of fresh blood on a microscopic slide and add a drop of
Ringer’s solution. Observe under the LPO and HPO. Note the normal
shape of the red blood cells. Make a drawing of several cells.

3.) Add two drops of distilled water to the smear and observe under the
LPO and HPO. What change took place in the red blood cells as the
water mixed with the blood smear? Make a drawing of several cells.

4.) Prepare another smear with blood and Ringer’s solution. This time
add two drops of 3% salt solution to the slide. Observe under the
LPO and HPO. Make a drawing of several cells.

5.) Gently break open the blunt end of an egg but do not damage the
delicate membrane enclosing the albumin: enlarge the opening to
expose that air chamber. Stand the egg, pointed end down in slender
beaker and add enough water so that the shell is surrounded to a
level just below the opened end. Put aside and observe one hour.

Before immersing in H2O After 1hr immersing in H2O 8hrs after immersing in H2O
Guide Questions:

1. What physical process was demonstrated by the potassium

permanganate
crystal in the beaker of water? Explain.

The physical process that is evident in the experiment was diffusion. It is the
movement of a substance from areas of high concentration to areas of low
concentration until they are dispersed equally. Diffusion is also the tendency of
a substance to spread evenly in a given space. The substance which has a higher
concentration is the potassium permanganate and the substance that has a
lower concentration was the water. The chemical substance slowly spreads into
the water showing a purple mixture.

2. What happened to the red blood cells in Ringer’s solution, in 3% salt

solution,
and in distilled water?

Ringer’s solution is widely used in medical care specifically restoring and

replacing fluids and electrolytes in individuals who have low blood volume or low
blood pressure. The red blood cells in Ringer’s solution appears in their normal
size and normal shape since the movement of solute and water concentration is
equal. The red blood cells in 3% salt solution undergoes in a state of crenation
in which the cell loses its water because of its high solute concentration
externally and eventually causes the cell to shrivel. The red blood cells in distilled
water appears to swell and undergoes in a state of hemolysis wherein the water
enters the cell because of its high solute concentration internally.

3. What happened to the egg membrane when placed in water?

Based on my observation, the soft inner membrane of the egg hardened after an
hour of submerging it into the water. The inner membrane swelled since the
molecules of the egg has less water concentration than the water immersed into
it. The process of osmosis is responsible for this occurrence as it is a passive
movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane.

4. What can you conclude as to the permeability of the cell membrane of

the egg?

I conclude that the inner membrane of the egg has a selectively permeable
membrane in which it only allows certain substances to pass through such as
water; as it is highly polar and can pass through all membranes. The water
enters the inner membrane of the egg in order to reach equilibrium.
5. In this experiment, which is the isotonic solution, the hypertonic
solution, and the hypotonic solution? Explain the reasons of your
choices.

The Ringer’s solution is the isotonic solution since it is primarily used in

attaining equilibrium of both concentrations. The cells remain intact in an
isotonic solution as it has no net movement. The 3% salt solution is the
hypertonic solution as it has higher solute concentration than the cell. The cells
shriveled as the net movement is out of the cell. In contrast, the distilled water
is the hypotonic solution given that it is pure water – its concentration of solute
is approximately zero. The cell appears to swell and eventually burst as the net
movement is into the cell.

References:
Teachingbioproject. (2012, April16). Video 10 -TEST TO OBSERV DIFFUSION.mov
[Video]. Retrieved July 24, 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCtzlQL3GaM

Khan Academy. (n.d). Osmosis and tonicity. Retrieved July 24,2020, from
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-
transport/diffusion-and-osmosis/a/osmosis

Sci-Inspi. (2016, Jun 3). Red blood cells under the microscope, hypo and
hypertonic solutions [Video]. Retrieved July 24,2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8cI6FkcG4c

Urry, L.A., Cain, M.L., Wasserman, S.A., Minorsky, P.V., Reece, J.B., Jackson,
R. and Campbell, N.A. (2017). Campbell Biology 9th Ed. Pearson Education Inc.
USA.

Lape, Mary Antonnete S. BioSci 1-B