Diffusion of Glucose and Starch Through

the Semi-Permeable Membrane

of a Dialysis Tube

Lab Report

Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009
Conclusion:

The size of the pore in the dialysis tubing played a critical role in determining what solutes
could pass into or out of the bag. This artificial selectively permeable membrane acted as a
model for the selectively permeable membranes used in real life cells, and demonstrated how
membranes can push off certain molecules while allowing others to diffuse through (Jacobs,
1998).

In this experiment, the results should have been that glucose would have diffused across the
dialysis tube’s artificial membrane and into the beaker, with starch molecules remaining
trapped within the bag itself because of their relatively large size. However, this was not the
case, but only because of the lack of sufficient time provided to complete the procedure.
Thus, the predicted hypothesis was partially rejected, seeing as it did not comply with a
portion of what was supposed to be the actual experimental outcome. Unlike the
expectation that both glucose and starch molecules would diffuse across the membrane,
only sugar would have diffused, thus proving the predicted hypothesis partially
incorrect (Sujeeth, 2002).

The results, moreover, were as follows:

 After adding 10 drops of benedicts solution, test tube #1 turned a light blue
color after heating, which indicated a negative test for the presence of sugar.
 After adding 10 drops of benedicts solution, test tube #3 transformed into a
yellow color, which was a positive test for sugar.
 After adding 3 drops of iodine solution, test tube #2 turned yellow only on the
surface, with the rest of the solution transparent throughout; this indicates a
negative test for starch (contrast in color is due to the negligence to stir the
solution before testing for results; the test tube was left to sit still for quite a
while before being attended to).
 After adding 3 drops of iodine solution, test tube #4 turned a dark purple only
on the surface, with the rest of the solution transparent throughout; this was a
positive test for starch.

Diffusion was supposed to be demonstrated as the purpose of this experimental

procedure. Just like a real life cell, the dialysis tube should have acted as a selectively
permeable membrane and allowed for only the small glucose molecules to diffuse
through it. Thus, the sugar particles would have moved from an area of high solute
concentration (which was in the dialysis tube) to an area of relatively no or very low
solute concentration (which was the environment in the beaker) in order to achieve
equilibrium within their surrounding environment (Sujeeth, 2002).

Damon, McGonegal, Tosto, and Ward (2007, p.33) stated that, “ diffusion is one type of
passive transport. Particles of a certain type [in this case, sugar] move from a region of
high concentration to a region of low concentration, with the involvement of a
membrane.” Furthermore, the textbook itself offers a descriptive diagram of the process
of diffusion involving a glucose cube which disperses from the higher concentration area
to the lower concentration area when placed into a water-filled beaker (Damon et al.,
2007, p.33). At this point, it is also necessary to state the sole purpose of diffusion in
living cells, which is to maintain equilibrium. According to the Cornell Institute for
Biology Teachers (2001), “at equilibrium, the concentration of a given substance is the
same on both sides of a membrane. In some circumstances, however, equilibrium is not
achieved because molecules on one side of a membrane become trapped [just as occurred
with the starch molecules, which were too large to fit through the pores in the dialysis
tubing].”

Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009
Evaluation of the procedure:

The two substances that were being tested for in this experiment were starch and sugar.
Unfortunately, the dialysis tubing was found to be impermeable to either of these
substances. This was true because if the dialysis tubing was permeable to sugar and
starch, these substances would have diffused from the dialysis tube and into the beaker,
thus causing the solution in the beaker to test positive for both substances (Cornell
Institute for Biology Teachers, 2001). In such an experiment, the results should have
been for the beaker to test positive for the presence of glucose, since glucose particles
would have easily diffused through the dialysis tube’s permeable membrane due to their
relatively small size compared to starch molecules. However, this was not the case at all,
and this may be due to the fact that the required time that the dialysis tube was
supposed to stay submerged within the beaker was cut short. Instead of keeping the
tube in the beaker for at least 20 minutes, it was decreased to 17 minutes due to time
restraint. Hence, with not enough time, the sugar and starch substances were not able to
diffuse through the tiny pores that made up the membrane of the dialysis tube. Another
possible reason as to why the substances (mainly sugar since it is the substance that
should without a doubt have diffused into the beaker due to its small size) were unable
to diffuse across the artificial membrane might have been due to the fact that the sugar
and starch substances were not fully dissolved into their solutions prior to the
conduction of the actual experiment. Thus, since the solutions were both left to sit
unattended for quite a while, they were returned back to their crystallized forms
(Sujeeth, 2002).

With such a restraint in time that was exhibited during the conduction of this
experiment, the dialysis tubing was unable to allow the diffusion of either substance
across its artificial membrane. However, when looking to the proper experimental
outcome, it must be noted that only glucose was to diffuse across the tubing due to its
relatively small size compared to an average starch molecule (Sujeeth, 2002).

Although flaws and errors are an inevitable part of experimentation that can never be
entirely avoided, many of the flaws within this experiment could have been easily
corrected; thus the results of the experiment turned out inaccurate due to an increase in
error.
Human Error:
 Not properly timing the procedure (the stopwatch wasn’t turned on at
the precise tie that the dialysis tube was submerged within the beaker,
limiting experimental consistency).
 Not properly dissolving the sugar and starch substances within their
own solutions (a spoon was used to break down the molecules).
 Accidentally spilling an amount of a certain substance while transporting
it from one area to another (the dialysis tube was very flexible, so it was
hard to keep all the water within it as it was being untightened).

Random Error:

 Temperature variations of the hot water bath (not kept at a constant

temperature; is turned off and on).
 Experimental material was notably variable (for example, two different
pipettes with different scale increments were used to transport the
solutions from one area to another).

Systematic Error:

Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009
  Badly made instruments (the pipettes used to transport the solution
required an extensive amount of time to simply suck in the proper
amount of each substance.)

In accordance with the calculated experimental results and the actual results that should
have been obtained, it is vital to underscore the significance of the errors and
weaknesses that occurred during the procedure. Seeing as these errors completely
altered the expected course of the results, it must be concluded that these weaknesses
were extremely significant.

Improving the Investigation:

For future improvements, it would be necessary to consider alternatives such as

dissolving a liquid glucose rather than having to dissolve actual sugar particles in
distilled water. Furthermore, adhering to a specific instrument during the procedure is
vital to the precision of the experimental results, rather than using varied instruments to
fulfill the same task; through this, consistency is achieved. For example, when using a
certain pipette to suck out water from a beaker, it is extremely crucial to adhere to the
same kind of pipette that sucks up the same amount of water. Also, experiments should
never be rushed in the near future in order to ensure that the outcome turns out as
expected. To fulfill this requirement, the lab should be organized so that it can be
finished within two class periods (or even after school for two hours), rather than
cramping it all up into one. Another possible alternative to such an experimental error is
possibly preparing all equipment beforehand to avoid taking up much time on
equipment preparation in class. Moreover, to avoid spilling any water when
untightening a dialysis bag, it would be best to have one person hold the tube itself,
while another person removes the clipping, rather than having one person do both these
jobs at once. Also in the near future, assigning only one person the task of timing would
be extremely helpful to the experiment, seeing as that student will have to focus on
being efficient with time, rather than having more than one task at once which drives
him/her to neglect the task of time-keeping. Also, due to the variations in the
temperature of the hot water bath at specific times, results were not consistent; it would
have been much better if a specific student was assigned to monitor the water bath and
keep it at a stable temperature (not too high so the water doesn’t boil, and not too low
so the water is not hot enough). Another modification to be considered is to prepare the
experimental equipment beforehand, so as not to have to waste part of the class period
organizing equipment; equipment should also be tested prior to the experiment so as
not to have to use poor instruments during the procedure; all equipment must be
checked for defects in performance (for example, if water is placed in a test tube and it
begins to leak, then the test tube is most likely broken, so another test tube must replace
it). Thus, time management would have been attainable. By achieving these factors in
the near future, measurements and observations can be properly relied upon to provide
accurate results.

Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009
 References:

Damon, A., McGonegal, R., Tosto, P., & Ward, W. (2007). Higher Level Biology
Developed Specifically for the IB Diploma. New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers (2001). Diffusion Across Biological Membranes: A
Simulation. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from www.cibt.bio.cornell.edu/lab/dl/DABM.

Sujeeth, Arvind (2002). The Diffusion of Glucose, Starch, and IKI Through Dialysis Tubing.
Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://thecavern.netfirm.com/essay/diffusion.htm.

Jacobs, C.W. (1998). Diffusion and Osmosis. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from
http://sciweb.hfcc.net/Biology/jacobs/bio131/diffusion/Diff&Os.html.

Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009
Namarik Al-Enizy
IB Biology Year 1
Mrs. Daena
Wednesday, November18, 2009