De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School

GENERAL BIOLOGY 1

CELL TRANSPORT IN SALTED EGGS

Cell transport indicates the movement of

a substance from one location to another. It is
the procedure or mechanism by which
molecules, ions, or substrates are carried across
a cell membrane. The three different kinds of
passive transport are simple diffusion, osmosis,
and facilitated diffusion. In the picture, a salted
duck egg is shown, which is a traditional food in
China. It is one example of the many practical
applications of cellular transport mechanisms.

It is stated in the article A Simple Method to Evaluate Oil in Salted Egg (n.d.) that
producing salted eggs involves completely immersing them in brine solution, which is saturated
water. Another way is coating them for 20–45 days in a soil paste and salt mixture. The egg
white loses its viscosity and turns runny, while the yolk slowly solidifies and hardens during the
salting process. The type of transport that occurs in this procedure is osmosis. Osmosis is the
movement of water through a semipermeable membrane according to the concentration
gradient (from higher to lower concentration). The osmotic conditions are hypotonic, hypertonic,
and isotonic solutions. If there is a place with higher solute concentration outside the egg, the
water inside the egg would flow out. It shrinks as the water exits. However, the egg will enlarge
if the solution has a lower solute content. If the solute concentration within and outside of the
egg are the same, the egg won't change (Tarsi, 2019). According to the article of NCBI (n.d.),
the greater osmotic pressure, which precipitates the movement of water molecules, may be
responsible for the higher moisture reduction in the eggs salted at a higher salt concentration.
Moreover, eggs salted in brine solutions with higher salt concentrations exhibit a larger increase
in the oil that leaked from the yolks compared to eggs salted in brine solutions with lower salinity
levels. Furthermore, the UNSDG integrated with the chosen practical application is UNSDG 12:
Responsible consumption and production since preservation of eggs contributes to economic
growth. This application is sustainable to the environment because the food resources and
production methods used are safe.

In conclusion, osmosis is an essential process used by all living things to transfer water
into and out of their cells. Salted duck eggs are produced through brine immersion or coating in
soil and salt mixture for several weeks. Osmosis is the form of transport that takes place during
this mechanism. There are three kinds of osmotic conditions: hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic
solutions. An egg will either shrink, expand, or remain the same depending on the solute
concentration inside and outside of it. The migration of water molecules is accelerated by higher
osmotic pressure. Thus, osmosis balances the levels of water and intracellular fluids, which aids
in regulating the environment within the organism.

(LITERATURE CITED/REFERENCES)

A simple method to evaluate oil in salted egg. (n.d.). Taylor & Francis. Retrieved October 6,
2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2017.1311345?cookieSet=1

Mechanisms of Transport Study Guide | Inspirit. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from
https://www.inspiritvr.com/ap-bio/unit-2/mechanisms-of-transport-study-guide
 De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School
GENERAL BIOLOGY 1

NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5552285/

Tarsi, M. (2019, March 2). Why Does an Egg Shrink in Different Solutions? Sciencing. Retrieved
October 6, 2022, from https://sciencing.com/egg-shrink-different-solutions-8644545.html