Brooke Evetts

Biology 1406
Introduction
In the experiment Diffusion and Osmosis: Passive Movement of Molecules in Biological
Systems, a collection of different materials and methods were used to acquire the results in the testing of
the cellular model. This experiment gave an idea of how osmosis occurs across a permeable membrane,
and how the rate of diffusion is affected by the different concentration solutions in both the dialysis
tubing as well as the surrounding solution in the beaker.
Performing the Experiment
The experiment was started by gathering the water soaked dialysis tubing which acted as a
permeable cell membrane in the experiment by controlling diffusion of water based on concentration of
solute on either side of the membrane. Then dialysis clips were accumulated that were used on either
side of the tubing to hold the contents in the tubing. The clips were then labeled A, B, C, and D with a
sharpie so that the bags could be kept track of throughout the experiment. A pipet was then acquired to fill
bag A and B with 10 mL of 1% sucrose solution. Bag C was filled with 10 mL of a 10% sucrose solution
and bag D was filled with 10 mL of a 20% sucrose solution. Bag A was then submerged into a beaker
filled with a 10% sucrose solution while the rest of the bags were submerged into a larger beaker filled
with a 1% sucrose solution. A digital scale was used to weigh the beginning amount of solution in grams
in each dialysis tubing bag to measure the rate of osmosis over the 60 minute period. A timer was used in
15 minute intervals for 60 minutes in able to keep track of when to take the dialysis tubing bags out of the
beakers to weigh them. This is a copy of the chart in the lab book that recorded the data of the weight of
the dialysis tubing over time:

Result Analysis
During the first 15 minutes is where the greatest amount of change was seen. After those first 15
minutes there was a steady rate in which the water moved through the membrane (dialysis tubing) into the
solution inside or surrounding the tubing. The solution surrounding Dialysis bag A (10 ml of 1% sucrose
put into a solution of 10% sucrose) is hypertonic compared to that, thats in the bag (cell). Dialysis bag
B (10 ml of 1% sucrose put into a solution of 1% sucrose) represents an equal concentration to that of the
solution surrounding it. Therefore bag B is isotonic, a solution that has equal concentration of solutes to
its environment. Dialysis bags C (10 ml of 10% sucrose put into a solution of 1% sucrose) & D (10 ml of
20% sucrose put into a solution of 1% sucrose) are both hypertonic to the solution and have higher solute
concentrations to that of the solution they are in. (pg.: 97 Diffusion and osmosis).

0 Min 15 Min 30 Min 45 Min 60 Min
Initial
Weight
Total
Weight
Change
in
weight
Total
weight
Change
in
weight
Total
Weight
Change
in
weight
Total
weight
Change
in
weight
Bag A 1%
sucrose
28.989 26.656 2.333 25.887 .769 25.869 .018 25.625 .244
Bag B 1%
sucrose
24.439 23.104 1.335 22.951 .153 23.497 .546 23.115 .382
Bag C
10%sucrose
25.357 27.070 1.713 27.940 .872 27.667 .333 27.789 .122
Bag D 20%
sucrose
23.925 25.542 1.617 27.041 1.499 28.134 1.093 28.645 .511
Conclusion
It was concluded from these results and from previous research that sucrose would be too thick to
pass through the dialysis tubing. Osmosis, defined as the transfer of water from high concentration to low
concentration or from low concentration to high concentration in order to reach equilibrium. This being
said osmosis from the low concentration into the high concentration and vice versa was seen throughout
the experiment. This experiment has shown the rate of which water goes through osmosis while it tries to
maintain its homeostasis. It showed how water moved through the membrane (dialysis tubing) into the
solution in the beaker.
Possible Error
This experiment could very well be flawed by human error. If the beginning measurements were
off it could ruin the measurements of the entire experiment. Another error that could have contributed to
experiment flaw would be time, although time is a definite measurement, the experiment could have been
compromised if the stopwatch or attention to time was not exact. The timing error may not have shown
the rate of osmosis of the dialysis tubing in the first 15 minutes and the rest of the experiment.

Works Cited
Moore, Vodopich. "Section 9." Laboratory Manual BIOL-1406L. By Mcgraw-Hill Education. Tarrant
County College Northwest Campus ed. N.p.: Parmeet Jodhka, Ph.D, 2013. 95-106. Print. Biology
for Science Majors I.