Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 1

Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments

Carson Primrose
Honors Biology, Period 3
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School
April 30, 2018
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 2

Introduction

Passive transport is the movement of ions and other molecular or atomic substances

across cell membranes without the need of energy input. Passive transport depends on

permeability of the membrane which depends on depends on the characteristics of proteins and

lipids. To be selectively permeable means that a cell membrane allows only certain ions or

molecules to pass through it. “Osmosis is the process of where water molecules diffuse across

the cell membrane from high concentration to low concentration.” (Flaherty, 2014) There are

three different types of Osmosis. They are Hypertonic, Isotonic, and Hypotonic. Hypertonic

Osmosis is when water enters the cell since the concentration of solute molecules is higher than

the concentration inside the cytosol. The cytosol is the liquid found inside cells. Next is Isotonic

Osmosis, which is when water diffuses in and out of the cell at the same time so there is no

movement of water. The final type of osmosis is Hypotonic Osmosis, which is when water

diffuses into the cell until equilibrium is reached. “Hyy-po, expl-ode.” (Mrs. Steininger)

Understanding Osmosis in the real world basically keeps humans and animals alive. The health

and survival of humans and animals is the ability to maintain cells at their concentration of

solutes. This is the basis of osmosis. “Dialysis tubing is a type of semi-permeable membrane

tubing used in separation techniques, that facilitates the removal or exchange of small molecules

from macromolecules in solution based on differential diffusion.” (Haney, 2013) Three purposes

to this lab are how the mass of the cell changes, what the cell is permeable to, and how diffusion

occurs throughout the cell. Every cell in the table is in a hypotonic environment except for water

in water which is an isotonic environment, and the water in 60 percent of glucose which is a

hypertonic environment. For part one, the independent variable is the percentage of the glucose
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 3

solution and the dependent variable is the mass throughout the experiment. For part two, the

independent variable was the stimulated cell filled with starch, and the dependent variable the

change of color in either inside or outside the cell. The constants in part one was the amount of

water, the beakers, and the dialysis tubing. The control group in part one is the cell that is filled

with water placed in water, and the experimental group is every other cell. The constants in part

two are the dialysis tubing, the amount of water, and the amount of iodine. There is no control

group for part two, but the experimental group for part two is the dialysis tubing filled with

starch. Hypothesis for part 1: If the cell filled with twenty percent glucose solution has highest

mass, then it had the most water present in the cell. Hypothesis for part 2: If the water changes

color, then the cell membrane is permeable to starch.

Materials

Dialysis tubing, starch, water, beakers, scale, yarn to tie the bags, iodine, glucose solution

Procedures Part 1

1.) In this lab there were five beakers set up.

2.) Four of the beakers were filled with 200 ml of pure water.

3.) One of the beakers was filled with 60 percent glucose solution (200 ml).

4.) There were six simulated cells with dialysis tubing. One of them was filled with 5 ml of

pure water placed into water.

5.) Then there was one filled with 20 percent glucose solution, 5 ml placed into a beaker

with 200 ml of water.

6.) The third was filled with 5 ml of 40 percent glucose solution and placed in a beaker 200

ml of water.
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 4

7.) Next there was one filled with 5 ml of 60 percent glucose placed into 200 ml of water.

8.) Then there was one filled with 60 percent glucose and put in there with two stimulated

cells.

9.) The last one was filled with 5 ml of water of 80 percent glucose and placed in a beaker

filled with 60 percent glucose solution.

10.) Finally calculate the mass change.

Procedure Part 2

1.) Two people from one group took a beaker and filled half of it with water.

2.) Then one more simulated cell was filled with starch (half spoonful) then some water.

3.) Then they were punt into a beaker of water.

4.) Next take the iodine and place 20 drops into a beaker.

5.) The goal was to see what tubing is permeable to.

6.) Finally it was permeable to iodine and water.

Results

Part 1: From 0 to 3 minutes the mass of the cell increased from 0 to 208 milligrams while in the

state of water in water. Then from 3 to 6 minutes the cells mass increased from 208 to 291

milligrams. Finally from 6 to 9 minutes the cells mass decreased from 291 to 249 milligrams.

Next while the cell was in the solution of 20 percent of glucose in water the mass of the cell

increased from 0 to 317 milligrams in the time span of 0 to 3 minutes. Then the cells mass

increased from 317 to 534 milligrams, from 3 to 6 minutes. Finally, the mass of the cell

increased from 534 to 701 milligrams between 6 to 9 minutes. Then while the cell was in the

solution of 40 percent of glucose in water the cells mass increased from 0 to 408 milligrams in
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 5

between 0 to 3 minutes, next the cells mass increased from 408 to 800 milligrams in between 3

and 6 minutes. The cell’s mass increased from 800 to 1108 milligrams between 6 and 9 minutes.

The next cell was in the solution of 60 percent glucose in water. From 0 to 3 minutes the mass of

the mass of the cell increased its mass from 0 to 567 milligrams, and from 3 to 6 minutes the

cells mass increased from 567 to 1009 milligrams. Then between 6 and 9 minutes the mass of the

cell increased from 1009 to 1409 milligrams. The next state the cell endured was the amount of

water in 60 percent of glucose. From 0 to 3 minutes the mass of the cell decreased from 0 to -150

milligrams, and from 3 to 6 minutes the mass of the cell decreased from -150 to -533 milligrams.

Finally while the cell was in this state the cells mass decreased from -533 to -783 milligrams.

The next and final state that the cell was put through was 80 percent of glucose in 60 percent of

glucose. During the time period of 0 to 3 minutes the mass of the cell increased from 0 to 241

milligrams, and during the time period of 3 to 6 minutes the cells mass increased from 241 to

316 milligrams. Finally, the cells mass increased from 316 to 399 milligrams from 6 to 9

minutes.

Table 1: Mass of Cells in Glucose Solution

Water in 20 % in 40% in 60% in Water in 80% in

Time Water Water Water Water 60% 60%
0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
3 208.0 317.0 408.0 567.0 -150.0 241.0
6 291.0 534.0 800.0 1009.0 -533.0 316.0
9 249.0 701.0 1108.0 1409.0 -783.0 399.0

The numbers were found by taking the class average after conducting the experiment. The

numbers were all on the same page based off the data from each group being roughly the same.

This would insure there is no obscure numbers that would cause one of the groups data to be

incorrect.
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 6

Mass of Glucose Solution Over Time

2000.0

1500.0

1000.0
water in water
Mass (Milligrams)

20% in water
500.0 40% in water
60% in water
water in 60%
0.0
80% in 60%
1 2 3 4

-500.0

-1000.0
Time (Minutes)

Figure 1: Mass of Glucose Solution Over Time

The lines on the graph represent the change of the cells’ mass when placed in different situations.
On the x-axis, time is in minutes and it is representing the change of the cells’ mass over time.
The lines show how the cell’s mass increased or decreased in 3 minute intervals. The y-axis
shows the mass of the cell and the lines fluctuating up and down show the change of the cell over
time.

In the part 2 results, the inside of the cell turned blue, then the outside of the cell did not change.
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 7

Discussion

Certain bags during part 1 of the lab gained or lost weight because of the water flowing in

and out of the cell. When the cell gets closer to equilibrium it is experiencing an isotonic

environment because the amount of water moving in is the same moving out keeping it in

equilibrium. Also, the cells weight does not change, and the size of the cell with stay in a pretty

close range as well. When osmosis has a higher concentration compared to a lower concentration

it causes the cells weight and size to possibly change as they enter into different environment.

The 80/60 did not gain as much weight as the 20/0 because there was more glucose in the 80/60,

also there was more equilibrium keeping it around the same weight, while the 20/0 did not have

very much equilibrium causing its way to change. The inside of the simulated cell turned blue in

part two of the lab because iodine diffused into the starch as seen by the dark blue color inside of

the bag. This occurs since iodine has smaller molecular molecules than starch. The dialysis

tubing is permeable to water. Four sources of error were the chaos in the room from all the

groups doing the same experiment, the fact that there was only one class period to complete the

lab, the amount of people filling the dialysis tubing at once, and the amount of people who could

not tie the bags with the little piece of yard. Finally, the one thing to change to make the lab

better would be to have more time to complete the lab in order for every group to finish.
 Glucose Effect on Different Cell Environments 8

Works Cited

Flaherty, J. (2014, April 3). 3 Types of Osmosis. Retrieved from Prezi:

https://prezi.com/zjldrjpgmrs9/3-types-of-osmosis/
Lachish, U. (2001, February 20). Osmosis Reverse Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure what they are.
Retrieved from Osmosis Desilination and Carnot: http://urila.tripod.com/
Paul Haney, K. H. (2013, April 18). Separation Charateristics of Dialysis Membranes. Retrieved
from Thermo Fisher Scientific: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-
science/protein-biology/protein-biology-learning-center/protein-biology-resource-
library/protein-biology-application-notes/separation-characteristics-dialysis-
membranes.html#/legacy=www.piercenet.com