The Osmosis and Diffusion Report
Northern Kentucky University
BIO 150L: Introduction to Biology I
Instructor: Dr. Bethany Bowling
Osmosis and Diffusion Report
Estimating the Osmolarity of Plant Cells--Potato
YAO ZHANG
03/26/2012
Introduction: It is undeniable that all cells have the kinetic energy. It will led the cells move randomly around to others. For this molecular movement, there are two results that might happen. Diffusion is one of them. Diffusion is the movement of molecules that between the high concentration and the low concentration, during the molecules move randomly, the molecules which are in the high concentration are tending to move into the low concentration. On the other hand, osmosis is another result of the molecular movement. Osmosis is one type of diffusion that especially happens for the water molecules move across a selectively permeable membrane, which only allows some specific molecules to pass through. When it has reached the dynamic equilibrium, the diffusion or osmosis will happens in the different concentrations of solutions. This point is very important because if sometimes both areas have equal concentrations, then there will not have any molecule movement at all such as diffusion or osmosis from one area to another area. When sometimes two solutions have the same concentration, it means both of these solutions are become isotonic. When sometimes the solutions have the different solute concentrations, there are two names for them we used to call those situations. The first one is hypertonic, which is for the area or solution that has the higher solute concentration. On the other hand, another one is called hypotonic, that means for the area or the solution with the lower solute concentration. When the hypotonic solution has a higher level of solute than the water level, which means the water potential is lower than the solute potential. This is because the solute potential and water potential are inversely proportional. So, for a
BIO 150L: Introduction to Biology I
Instructor: Dr. Bethany Bowling
Osmosis and Diffusion Report
Estimating the Osmolarity of Plant Cells--Potato
YAO ZHANG
03/26/2012
Introduction: It is undeniable that all cells have the kinetic energy. It will led the cells move randomly around to others. For this molecular movement, there are two results that might happen. Diffusion is one of them. Diffusion is the movement of molecules that between the high concentration and the low concentration, during the molecules move randomly, the molecules which are in the high concentration are tending to move into the low concentration. On the other hand, osmosis is another result of the molecular movement. Osmosis is one type of diffusion that especially happens for the water molecules move across a selectively permeable membrane, which only allows some specific molecules to pass through. When it has reached the dynamic equilibrium, the diffusion or osmosis will happens in the different concentrations of solutions. This point is very important because if sometimes both areas have equal concentrations, then there will not have any molecule movement at all such as diffusion or osmosis from one area to another area. When sometimes two solutions have the same concentration, it means both of these solutions are become isotonic. When sometimes the solutions have the different solute concentrations, there are two names for them we used to call those situations. The first one is hypertonic, which is for the area or solution that has the higher solute concentration. On the other hand, another one is called hypotonic, that means for the area or the solution with the lower solute concentration. When the hypotonic solution has a higher level of solute than the water level, which means the water potential is lower than the solute potential. This is because the solute potential and water potential are inversely proportional. So, for a
References: • David Thompson. (2011). BIO 150L Introduction To Biology 1 Laboratory Manual. Northern Kentucky University: Assistant Professor of Biological Science • Peter H., Raven, Johnson George B., Mason Kenneth A., Losos Jonathan B., and Singer Ssan R. BIOLOGY. 9th ed. New York: The McGraw Hill, 2011. 59-186. Print. • Lab 1 osmosis & diffusion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biologyjunction.com/lab_1_osmosis.htm