Chapter 3: Movement of

Substances acros the

Plasma Membrane
3.2 Movement of Substances
across the Plasma Membrane
in Everyday Life
The effects and applications of
osmosis in everyday life
What happen when a cell is placed in a
hypotonic solution?

What happen when a cell is placed in a

isotonic solution?

What happen when a cell is placed in a

hypertonic solution?
activity
 GROUP DISCUSSION

Paramecium lives in freshwater habitat.

What are the problem they may face and
how they overcomes this problem?
 Paramecium live in freshwater environment
which is hypotonic to the paramecium cell.

Water enter the paramecium by osmosis.

The excessive water in paramecium is

collected in contractile vacuoles.

Contractile vacuoles pump out the water out

of the cell.
 GROUP DISCUSSION

Discuss the effects of excessive use of

fertilizer on plant.
1.Wilting in plant is usually caused by the
excessive use of fertilizer
2. Fertilizers such as potassium nitrate which
are added to the soil dissolve in the soil
water. This make the soil water more
concentrated and hypertonic to the cell sap of
the plant roots.

3.Water diffuses from the cell sap into the

soil by osmosis, causing the cells to be
plasmolysed
4. A wilting plant eventually dies if it is not
watered immediately.
 GROUP DISCUSSION

Discuss the how fruits can be stored for

a long time.
 Preservation of food using salt
and sugar

1. Foods such as mushrooms, fruits and

vegetables and fish can be preserved
longer using salt and sugar.

2. These preservatives will make the

solution outside the food more hypertonic
compared to the contents of the food.
3. The hypertonic solution causes water to
leave the food by osmosis.

4. The cells in the food substances become

dry.

5. Microorganism such as bacteria and

fungi which might be existed in food also
lose water by osmosis to the surrounding
solution and will eventually die. These
factor, besides dry condition, food will
have a longer shelf life.
3.3 Appreciating the Movement
of Substances across the
Plasma Membrane
1. The movement of substances across the
plasma membrane in a continuous and
controlled manner is important for the survival
of a cell.

2. By doing semi-permeable to different

substances, the plasma membrane acts as a
gatekeeper regulating what goes in and out of
the cell.

3. The plasma membrane also act as a barrier

between the content of the cell and the
surrounding environment.
4. If there is a defect in the plasma
membrane, many living processes which
are essential to a cell cannot be carried
out. Nutrients such as glucose and amino
acids from the external enviroment cannot
enter the cell and toxic waste products
cannot be eliminated from the cell.

5. Thus, the proper functioning of the

plasma membrane is important to our
health.
6. To maintain a proper functioning of a
plasma membrane & a cell as a whole,it is
essential that we take good care of our
food and health in take.

7. We should always consume appropriate

amount of food so that we do not put a
stress on ours cell.

8. We should drink sufficient water to

help hydrate our body and regulate the
osmotic pressure of the blood.
assessment
Ali has a tomato plant. One day,
he has put a very large amount of
fertilizer on his plant because he is
going out for holiday for one week.
After he returning back home, he
found that his tomato plant has
died. Explain what had happened to
his plant. (10m)
Suggested answer

• When excessive fertilizer was added on

the soil near to the plant, the fertilizer
dissolve in the soil water. The soil water is
hypertonic to the cell sap. Water
molecules move out from the plant cell by
osmosis. The plant cells undergo
plasmolysis. The plant cells become
flaccid. The flaccid cells cause the plant to
become wilting. When the wilting plant is
not watered immediately, the plant dies
because the loss of water.
Siti has a basket of mango but she is
unable to eat them at all. So she makes a
pickled mangos. Explain how the pickled
mangos can be preserved for a long time.
(10m)
Suggested answer

• Mango is put in a solution concentrated with

sugar. The concentration of sugar outside the
mango cells is higher than the concentration of
sugar in the mango cells. Water molecules move
out of the cell by osmosis. The sugar molecules
move into the cell by diffusion and fill in the
spaces between the cell wall and plasma
membrane causing the mango to taste sweet.
Lost of water cause the mango to become dry.
Dryness of the cell cause the bacteria and fungi
die. Therefore the pickled mango can be stored
for a longer time.
conclusion