Potato Osmosis Lab Report
Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from an area of high concentration of sucrose solution to an area of lower concentration of sucrose solution, through a selectively permeable membrane. The water molecules move down a concentration gradient in osmosis. Two diagrams of osmosis are shown in figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows the diffusion of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of highly concentrated sucrose solution to an area of lower concentrated sucrose solution. Figure 2 shows a concentration gradient, in which the water molecules are diffusing down the concentration gradient.
Depending on whether the higher concentration of sucrose molecules is on the outside of the selectively permeable membrane …show more content…
Therefore the space between the cellulose cell wall and the cytoplasm became filled with sucrose solution. This is because there was a higher concentration of solution on the outside of the cell, so the water molecules diffused out of the cell through the selectively permeable membrane. The higher the concentration, the more plasmolysed the cell becomes and my results show this. The 0M bathing solutions in both experiments caused the potato cells to become slightly turgid, this means that there was a higher concentration of solution on the inside of the cell. So the water molecules diffused into the cell through the selectively permeable membrane. The rate of water loss decreases as the concentration increases because; as the cell becomes more plasmolysed it cannot lose as much water. Therefore it shrinks until no more water molecules can diffuse out of the cell.
Conclusion
From these explanations of osmosis and my results, I can accept my prediction, I predicted exactly what happened. The higher concentrations caused the cells to become plasmolysed as the water molecules diffused out of the cell. The lower concentrations caused the cells to become slightly turgid as the water molecules diffused into the cell.
Even though some of my results may not have shown this in the best possible way, it can be seen from my corrected results that this was true of my
Depending on whether the higher concentration of sucrose molecules is on the outside of the selectively permeable membrane …show more content…
Therefore the space between the cellulose cell wall and the cytoplasm became filled with sucrose solution. This is because there was a higher concentration of solution on the outside of the cell, so the water molecules diffused out of the cell through the selectively permeable membrane. The higher the concentration, the more plasmolysed the cell becomes and my results show this. The 0M bathing solutions in both experiments caused the potato cells to become slightly turgid, this means that there was a higher concentration of solution on the inside of the cell. So the water molecules diffused into the cell through the selectively permeable membrane. The rate of water loss decreases as the concentration increases because; as the cell becomes more plasmolysed it cannot lose as much water. Therefore it shrinks until no more water molecules can diffuse out of the cell.
Conclusion
From these explanations of osmosis and my results, I can accept my prediction, I predicted exactly what happened. The higher concentrations caused the cells to become plasmolysed as the water molecules diffused out of the cell. The lower concentrations caused the cells to become slightly turgid as the water molecules diffused into the cell.
Even though some of my results may not have shown this in the best possible way, it can be seen from my corrected results that this was true of my