writing assignment 2
Title: Effect of Polarity In Diffusion Of Molecules Across Cellular Membrane
Abstract: Cell membranes play an important role in regulating what goes in and out of the cell. Diffusion, the process of movement of substances across the cell membrane from higher concentrations to areas of lower concentration, plays an active role in the transport and the regulation through cellular membrane. Sometimes, there are cases when cells are placed in hypotonic solutions and substances will diffuse through the cell membrane too much and will result the cell to hemolysis, causing it to swell and rupture. In this lab, we observed and recorded the time it took for diffusion of a propanol series substance to diffuse through a mixture of ovine blood to the point when hemolysis occurred. It was hypothesized that size and polarity of the molecules of a substance do have an effect on the diffusion rate across the cell membrane and that substances containing the smaller and less polar molecules would have a faster diffusion rate than those molecules that are more polar. This experiment was tested by mixing the ovine blood with the propanol series test solutions (Propanol, Propanediol, and Propanetriol) and then placing the test tubes of the blood and substance mixture in front a slit lamp to observe and then record the time it took to view the wire through the transparent mixture. After the lab was completed, it resulted that Propanol took the shortest amount of time to diffuse through the cellular membrane while Propanetriol took the longest amount of time, leaving Propanediol in the middle of the two. These results occurred as Propanol contained the least amount of hydroxyl groups and was the smallest and least polar. Propanetriol was the most polar of the three substances, containing three hydroxyl groups causing the diffusion to be the slowest. These results occurred because as the molecule in a substance becomes larger and more polar, the longer it takes for that molecule to
Abstract: Cell membranes play an important role in regulating what goes in and out of the cell. Diffusion, the process of movement of substances across the cell membrane from higher concentrations to areas of lower concentration, plays an active role in the transport and the regulation through cellular membrane. Sometimes, there are cases when cells are placed in hypotonic solutions and substances will diffuse through the cell membrane too much and will result the cell to hemolysis, causing it to swell and rupture. In this lab, we observed and recorded the time it took for diffusion of a propanol series substance to diffuse through a mixture of ovine blood to the point when hemolysis occurred. It was hypothesized that size and polarity of the molecules of a substance do have an effect on the diffusion rate across the cell membrane and that substances containing the smaller and less polar molecules would have a faster diffusion rate than those molecules that are more polar. This experiment was tested by mixing the ovine blood with the propanol series test solutions (Propanol, Propanediol, and Propanetriol) and then placing the test tubes of the blood and substance mixture in front a slit lamp to observe and then record the time it took to view the wire through the transparent mixture. After the lab was completed, it resulted that Propanol took the shortest amount of time to diffuse through the cellular membrane while Propanetriol took the longest amount of time, leaving Propanediol in the middle of the two. These results occurred as Propanol contained the least amount of hydroxyl groups and was the smallest and least polar. Propanetriol was the most polar of the three substances, containing three hydroxyl groups causing the diffusion to be the slowest. These results occurred because as the molecule in a substance becomes larger and more polar, the longer it takes for that molecule to