Title : Osmosis Objective :

To understand the phenomenon in which molecules flow from a location of higher chemical potential to a region of lower potential in which both regions are separated by a semipermeable membrane

Introduction :
The phenomenon of osmosis is the spontaneous passage of a pure solvent into a solution separated from it by a semi permeable membrane. Important examples of osmosis include transport of fluids through cell membranes, dialysis and osmometry, the determination of molar mass by the measurement of osmotic pressure.

Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration (dilute solution) through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration (concentrated solution). Osmosis occurs when different concentrations of water are separated by a differentially permeable membrane. One example of a differentially permeable membrane

within a living cell is the plasma membrane. This experiment demonstrates osmosis by using dialysis membrane, a differentially permeable cellulose sheet that permits the passage of water but obstructs passage of large molecules. It is very difficult to measure or see osmosis actually occurring in cells because of the small size of most cells.

The rationale for the choice is that the energy which drives the fluid transfer is the thermal energy of the water molecules, and that energy density is higher in the pure solvent since there are more water molecules. The thermal energy of the solute molecules does not contribute to transport, presuming that the membrane is impermeable to them. The choice is also influenced by the observed direction of fluid movement, since under this choice the fluid transport is from high "pressure" to low, congruent with normal fluid flow through pipes from high pressure to low. In this experiment, Dialysis tubing is used to investigate the relationship between solute concentration and the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane. Dialysis is a process where substances in solution are separated by their difference in molecular weight (size). The driving force behind dialysis is the concentration difference between two solutions on opposite sides of the membrane.

When two solutions have the same concentration of solutes, they are said to be isotonic to each other. If the two solutions are separated by a selectively permeable membrane, water will move between the two solutions, but there will be no net change in the amount of water in either solution.

If two solutions differ in the concentration of solutes that each has, the one with more solute is hypertonic to the one with less solute. The solution that has less solute is hypotonic to the one with more solute.

Now consider two solutions separated by a selectively permeable membrane. The solution that is hypertonic to the other must have more solute and therefore less water. At standard

atmospheric pressure, the water potential of the hypertonic solution is less than the water potential of the hypotonic solution, so the net movement of water will be from the hypotonic solution into the hypertonic solution. This effect can be countered by increasing the pressure of the hypertonic solution, with respect to the hypotonic. The osmotic pressure is defined to be the pressure required to maintain equilibrium, with no net movement of solvent. Osmotic pressure is a colligative property, meaning that the property depends on the molar concentration of the solute but not on its identity.

Osmosis is important in biological systems as many biological membranes are semipermeable. In general, these membranes are impermeable to organic solutes with large molecules, such as polysaccharides, while permeable to water and small, uncharged solutes. Permeability may depend on solubility properties, charge, or chemistry as well as solute size. Water molecules travel through the plasma cell wall, tonoplast (vacuole) or protoplast in two ways, either by diffusing across the phospholipid bilayer directly, or via aquaporins.

Apparatus: 50ml Beaker, balance Dialysis tubing

Materials: String Sucrose

Procedure 1. Three pieces of equal length of dialysis tubing, and several lengths of string was obtained. 2. One end of the tubing was fold over and tied closed with the string. 3. To each tube, 5ml of 30% sucrose solution was added. Then, the bag was gently squeezed to remove the excess air, and tied off with string. The bag should not be tight and turgid. 4. Some slack is left as room in the bag for expansion, but the air trapped inside was removed. The bags was rinsed in running tap water, and then gently dried on paper towels. 5. Each bag was carefully weighed to the nearest 0.1g and the results were recorded. 6. One bag was placed in each of three labeled beakers containing: (1) tap water, (2) 30% sucrose, (3) 60% sucrose. 7. The bags were allowed to remain undisturbed for thirty minutes.

8. Then, the bags were removed, rinsed, dried and weighed. The results were recorded into Table 3. Results: Table 3: Weight (g) of dialysis bags Tap water Weight at Time 0 min Weight at Time 30 min Change in weight 6.3g 7.2g 0.9g 30% Sucrose 5.9g 5.9g 0.0g 60% Sucrose 5.6g 5.1g 0.5g

% Change in mass in tap water = 7.2g 6.3g 6.3 g

100

14.29%

% Change in mass in 30% Sucrose = 5.9g 5.9g 5.9 g

100 = 0.0%

% Change in mass in 60% Sucrose = 5.6g 5.1g 5.6 g

100 = 8.93%

Discussion: It is very important that water and dissolved substances be able to migrate into, between and out of living cells. Cell membranes are semi-permeable, thus allowing the migration of these compounds to take place. Osmosis is the passage of water through a permeable membrane from a region containing a higher concentration of water to a region containing a lower concentration

of water. It is a physical process in which a solvent moves, without input of energy, across a semi-permeable membrane (permeable to the solvent, but not the solute) separating two solutions of different concentrations.

During osmosis, there are three diverse types of solutions that move across the gradient in different ways. In a hypertonic solution there is a higher concentration of the solute than in the other solution. Therefore, when the cell is put into a hypertonic solution, the water diffuses out of the cell which causes the cell to shrink. In a hypotonic solution, the solution has a low concentration of solute, therefore when a cell is added to this solution water diffuses into the cell until it eventually lyses because it is over filled with water. When a solution is said to isotonic it means that there is the same concentration between it and the cell. Here water flows through without changing the mass of the cell.

In this experiment we use dialysis tubing to investigate the relationship between solute concentration and the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane by the process of osmosis. Dialysis tubing is made from cellulose or cellophane to allow water or smaller molecules diffuse through it. In selectively permeable membranes, solutions travel across their concentration gradients by osmosis.

In this experiment 3, dialysis tubing was tied off at the bottom and filled with a 30% sucrose solution. In the experiment, dialysis tubing was placed in three labelled beakers containing: (1)

tap water, (2) 30% sucrose, (3) 60% sucrose. For the first tube which contains 30% sucrose solution placed in tap water, the result shows 0.9g increase in weight. From the results taken, the more concentrated solutions of sucrose seemed to draw the water towards it. First tube which was immersed in tap water had the higher concentrations as they pull the majority of the water out of the solution and into their membranes. When the solute concentration outside tube is less than that inside the tube, the tube is in a hypotonic solution. For the second tube consist of 30% sucrose solution which was placed in 30% sucrose solution, the results shows slightly loses in weight, 0.0g. The tube 2 which is immersed in water showed no gain or loss in weight because both of them are isotonic. For the last dialysis tube contains 30% sucrose solution placed in 60% sucrose solution. This was the only bag to have a drastic weight decrease. The result shows decrease of 0.5g in weight from the initial weight. This shows the movement of molecules from the dialysis tube to 60% sucrose contained in the beaker. Tube 3 had a stronger concentration outside its membrane which caused the sucrose on the outside to draw the water out of the dialysis tubing and into the solution that was in the beaker. When the solute concentration outside a tube is greater than that inside the tube, the tube is in a hypertonic solution. This could be applied in the real world with people who suffer from dehydration. By raising the sugar levels in their body, they are more likely to take in more water into their cells. Conclusion: We can conclude that when dialysis tube contained 30% sucrose immersed in tap water, it behaves as hypotonic process. When dialysis tube immersed in 30% sucrose solution it act as isotonic process whereas when it is immersed in 60% sucrose solution, it act as hypertonic process. Questions 1. Which solution is hypotonic to the cell?

The first tube which contain 30% sucrose which was immersed in tap water is considered to be in hypotonic solution. 2. Which solution is hypertonic to the cell? 60% sucrose solution is hypertonic to the cell. 3. What would happen in the following three beaker if tap water was used to replace 30% sucrose solution? Tube containing tap water immersed into the beaker containin tap water: The tube which is immersed in the beaker will show no gain or loss in weight because both of them are isotonic. Tube containing tap water immersed in the beaker containing 30% and 60% sucrose solution: This will show the movement of molecules from the tube to 30% sucrose contained in the beaker The both tube had a stronger concentration outside its membrane which will cause the sucrose on the outside to draw the water out of the dialysis tubing and into the solution that was in the beaker. The tube is in a hypertonic solution. Precaution:  Do not place the dialysis tubing on the table. This will contaminate the tubing, possibly blocking pores.  Do not let the dialysis tubing sit out in the air. This will dry out the tubing making it very fragile. The tubing should remain immersed in water until you are ready to use it.

References: 1. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/14149/diffusion_experiment_osmosis_in_sucro se_pg2.html?cat=6 2. http://www.purchon.com/biology/osmosis.htm 3. hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Kinetic/diffus.html

4. http://science.howstuffworks.com/reverse-osmosis.htm 5. http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/watertreatment.html