Assignment Of Biochemistry

Submitted to = Sir Iqbal Alvi

Submitted By = Huzaifa Farooq

Department = BS
MICROBIOLOGY
Semester = 1st
Question:-
Describe and explain osmolysis and cell shrinkage with
reference to osmosis ?

Osmosis:-
A process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass
through a semi-permeable membrane from a less
concentrated solution into a more concentrated solution
is called osmosis.

OR
Osmosis is the movement of solvent through a semi-
permeable membrane from a region of high
concentration to a region of low concentration, tending
to equalize the concentrations of the solution.

Explanation:-
Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement
of solvent molecules through a selectively permeable
membrane into a region of higher solute concentration,
in the direction that tends to equalize the solute
concentrations on the two sides. It may also be used to
describe a physical process in which any solvent moves
across a selectively permeable membrane (permeable to
the solvent, but not the solute) separating two solutions
of different concentrations. Osmosis is a vital process
in biological systems, as biological membranes are semi-
permeable. In general, these membranes are
impermeable to large and polar molecules, such
as ions, proteins, and polysaccharides, while being
permeable to non-polar or hydrophobic molecules
like lipids as well as to small molecules like oxygen,
carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and nitric oxide. Permeability
depends on solubility, charge, or chemistry, as well as
solute size. Water molecules travel through the plasma
membrane by diffusing across the phospho-lipid bilayer
via aquaporins (small trans-membrane proteins similar to
those responsible for facilitated diffusion and ion
channels). Osmosis provides the primary means by
which water is transported into and out of cells.
Basically Osmosis is only movement of water molecules
from the high concentrated solution to the low
concentrated solution.

Solution:-
The homogenous mixture of two or more substances is
called solution
There are two major components of solution:-
1) Solvent
2) Solute

Types Of Solution On The Basis Of

Concentration:-
To describe how many types of solution are there on the
basis of concentration let me first explain a very
important point. Whenever we classify the solution on
the basis of its concentration we must need a REFRENCE
SOLUTION . for comparison of solutions. We will
compare our solution with that reference solution than
we will detect that what kind of solution is ours?
Reference Solution:-
According to my assignment I am taking the solution of a
human cell cytoplasm as a reference which is 0.4%
saline.

Types:-
There are three major types of solution on the basis of
concentration:-
1. Isotonic solution
2. Hypertonic solution
3. Hypotonic solution
Isotonic Solution:-
The solution whose concentration (concentration means
the amount of solute in the solution) is same as our
reference solution is known as isotonic solution.
It means that its concentration must be 0.4% saline.
Hypertonic Solution:-
The solution whose concentration is greater than the
reference solution means it has more number of solutes
as compared to the reference solution is called
hypertonic solution
It means that its concentration must be greater than
0.4% saline
Hypotonic Solution:-
The solution whose concentration is smaller than
reference solution means it has less number of solutes as
compared to the reference solution is called hypotonic
solution.
It means that its concentration must be smaller than
0.4% saline.
Here is the diagram in which we can see that the solution
which is same as reference solution is isotonic solution.
And the solution whose concentration is greater than
reference solution is hypertonic solution while the
solution whose concentration is smaller than reference
solution is hypotonic solution.
Now the question arises here that what will happen
when we place a human cell whose cytoplasm is 0.4%
saline in these beakers?

Placing Human Cell In Isotonic

Solution:-
As our reference cell is human cell and its isotonic
solution must have the same concentration and salinity.
The isotonic solution is also 0.4% saline so when human
cell is placed in isotonic solution the human cell will not
be affected by the solution because the process of
osmosis takes place only when there is a difference in
concentrations of solutions. And in our case there is no
difference in the concentrations of solutions because the
salinity of both cell cytoplasm and isotonic solution is
same so human cell will not be effected whenever it will
be placed in its isotonic solution.

Placing Human Cell In Hypertonic

Solution:- (Cell Shrinkage)
Hypertonic solution has greater concentration than of
human cell means that the number of solutes are greater
in hypertonic solution as compared to the human cell lets
say that the hypertonic solution is 0.6% saline and we
know that human cell is 0.4% saline so there is a
difference between the salinity of both these solutions so
whenever the human cell is placed in hypertonic solution
it will face many problems. As we know that water is the
solvent in cell cytoplasm so whenever the human cell is
placed in hypertonic solution so due to osmosis the
water from the cell cytoplasm will rush out from the cell
and this will cause cell shrinkage and may cause cell
death.

Placing Human Cell In Hypotonic

Solution:- (Plasmolysis)
Hypotonic solution has the concentration which is less
than the concentration of cell cytoplasm. Lets say that
the concentration of hypotonic solution is 0.2% saline
and we know that human cell is 0.4% saline so whenever
the human cell is placed in hypotonic solution it will be
affected very badly because due to osmosis the solvent
from the hypotonic solution will rush into the human cell
and make it turbid at a point the osmotic pressure will
exceed upto a certain limit and may cause the cell to
burst. This process is called plasmolysis or osmolysis