Osmosis – Egg Lab

Osmosis and You

 Osmosis is the scientific term that describes how water flows to different places depending on
certain conditions. In this case, water moves around to different areas based on a concentration
gradient, i.e. solutions which have different concentrations of dissolved particles (solutes) in them.
Water always flows to the area with the most dissolved solutes, so that in the end both solutions have
an equal concentration of solutes. In biological systems, the different solutions are usually separated
by a semipermeable membrane, like cell membranes. These act sort of like a net that keeps solutes
trapped, but they still allow water to pass through freely. In this way, cells can keep all of their “guts”
contained but still exchange water.

 Every cell in your body needs the right amount of water inside of it to keep its shape, produce energy,
get rid of wastes, and other functions that keep you healthy. Osmosis works just the same way in
your cells as it does in our egg “cell” model. Thankfully, though, the semipermeable membrane of the
egg is much stronger, so you don’t have to worry about the egg exploding as well!
 After dissolving the eggshell, we are left with a membrane that holds the insides of the egg. This
membrane is selectively permeable. This means that it lets some molecules move through it and
blocks out other molecules. Water moves through the membrane easily. Bigger molecules, like the
sugar molecules in the corn syrup, do not pass through the membrane.

 You may have noticed that the egg expanded in the initial vinegar solution when you dissolved the
shell. This is because the vinegar has a higher concentration of water than the inside of the egg. To
reach equilibrium, water molecules move from the vinegar into the egg through the semi-permeable
membrane.

In this osmosis lab.. we are going to use egg as our cell.

By using just an egg and a few other household materials, you can put together an experiment
demonstrating osmosis, which is a process necessary to both plant and animal life.

After you dissolve the eggshell, the egg is surrounded by a membrane. (Actually, it’s two
membranes, but they are held tightly together.) This membrane is selectively permeable—
which means it lets some molecules move through it and blocks other molecules.

Water moves through the membrane easily. 

Introduction

When a cell membrane is said to be selectively permeable, it means that the cell membrane controls
what substances pass in and out through the membrane. This characteristic of cell membranes
plays a great role in passive transport. Passive transport is the movement of substances across the
cell membrane without any input of energy by the cell. The energy for passive transport comes
entirely from kinetic energy that the molecules have. The simplest type of passive transport is
diffusion, which is the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of
lower concentration. Diffusion moves down the concentration gradient, which is the difference in
the concentration of molecules across a space. Osmosis is a type of diffusion in which water
molecules move down the concentration gradient.

When the concentration of solute molecules outside the cell is lower than the concentration of
solute in the cytosol , the solution outside is hypotonic to the cytosol. If the concentration of solute
molecules is higher outside of the cell, the solution outside is said to be hypertonic. The solution
outside is isotonic if the concentration is equal on both sides of the cell membrane.

The egg shell is made of calcium carbonate and vinegar contains acetic acid.  These two
can react to produce calcium acetate and carbonic acid which then decompose into
water and carbon dioxide as shown in the two chemical equations:

  

The shell on the egg dissolved because    the egg shell is made of calcium carbonate and vinegar
contains acetic acid.  These two can react to produce calcium acetate and carbonic acid which
then decompose into water and carbon dioxide.
 ACTIVITY OVERVIEW (PLUS HELPFUL ADVICE)
A few minutes after the egg is placed in the vinegar, bubbles will form around the egg. This
indicates a chemical reaction taking place between the vinegar and the shell of the egg. In one day
the shell will be gone and water will begin moving into the egg. Osmosis is the movement of water
through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of higher water concentration (the vinegar) to
an area of lower water concentration (the egg).

Explain to the students that vinegar is a weak acid diluted with lots of water. Water passes from the
vinegar, through the egg’s semi-permeable membrane, into the egg because of osmosis.

Answers..
The formation of the bubbles signals a chemical reaction has taken place and that a gas is being
released. When the egg is placed in the vinegar, it sinks to the bottom with one end tilted up. As the
vinegar reacts with the eggshell, bubbles surround the egg, causing it to float.

(Definition)

Osmosis is the flow of water through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of higher water
concentration to an area of lower water concentration. When the egg was in a solution (vinegar, salt
water, tap water) that had a higher concentration of water than was inside the egg’s membrane
water flowed into the egg.

How Does It Work?

You begin the Growing and Shrinking Egg experiment by dissolving the egg shells in vinegar. The
vinegar’s acetic acid reacts with the calcium carbonate of the egg shell to produce carbon dioxide,
calcium, and water. While you won’t notice the water, and might not see the calcium, you’ll
definitely notice the bubbles of carbon dioxide gas form on the egg and release to the surface. The
result is two “naked,” or shell-less, eggs

Once the eggs’ shells have vanished, you start the growing and shrinking process.
Introduction:
Transport can be either passive or active. Passive transport is the movement of substances
across the membrane without any input of energy by the cell. Active transport is the
movement of materials where a cell is required to expend energy. In the case of this lab the
discussion will be centered on passive transport.
The simplest type of passive transport is diffusion.
Another type of passive transport is that of osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water across
a semi-permeable membrane.
Introduction: Bird and reptile eggs are the world’s largest single cells and can be used to study the
activities of normal microscopic cells. They are especially useful in the study of osmosis. Osmosis is the
diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane. Water will diffuse into a cell or out of a
cell depending on the concentration of water on each side of the membrane. Water will always move
from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration. In this lab, you will observe the
effects of osmosis on cells.