Experiment #7: Planning and Designing 1

Name: Malique Powell

Date:
Title: Water Potential

Problem Statement: The cell membrane is a physical barrier between the internal and
external environments of cells. Phospholipids, a major component of the membrane, are
amphoteric and therefore, heavily influences the permeability of the membrane. Molecules
move across the bilayer according to size and polarity. Water, a small and polar molecule is
transported across the membrane by osmosis along its water potential gradient. Plant and
animal cells respond differentially to the exit and entry of water. Plan and design an
experiment to investigate the effect of varying sucrose concentrations on onion epidermal
cells.

Hypothesis: Increased concentrations of sucrose in a solution will cause cells to become

plasmolyzed.
Aim: To investigate the effect of varying sucrose concentrations on onion epidermal cells

Materials and Apparatus: onion bulb, scalpel, forceps, distilled water, 0.5% sucrose
solution, 1% sucrose solution, 2% sucrose solution, 4% sucrose solution, iodine solution,
Light microscope, stage micrometer, microscope slide, cover slip, filter paper, petri dish,
measuring cylinder, stopwatch

Method:

1. Measure 5cm3 distilled water in a measuring cylinder, and transfer to a petri dish.

2. Use a scalpel to cut a small square from the onion, and forceps to peel off the epidermal
layer.

3. Place the epidermal layer in a petri dish, and leave for 2 minutes.

4. At the end of 2 minutes, transfer the epidermal layer to a microscope slide.

5. Place a few drops of iodine solution on the epidermis, then gently lower a cover slip
over it, ensuring that no air bubbles are trapped.

6. Use filter paper to remove any excess liquid from the slide.
 7. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope, secure with the clips.

8: at x100 objective, count and record the number of cells, then the number of
plasmolysed cells.

9: repeat steps 1-8 using 0.5, 1%, 2% and 4% sucrose solutions.

Results:-
Expected Results:

TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF PLASMOLYZED ONION EPIDERMAL CELLS

FROM EACH SOLUTION
Solution placed (%) # of plasmolysed cells % of plasmolyzed cells
(out of 50 total cells)

Variables:

Controlled : Amount of time epidermal cells were soaked in solutions, Amount of solution
used for each onion sample, Onion sample the epidermal cells were taken from

Independent : Concentration of sucrose in each solution

Dependent : Number of plasmolysed cells in each onion epidermal sample

Control group:

Onion epidermal cells in distilled water (0% sucrose solution)

Treatment of Results:

The plasmolysed cells in each solution will be observed, the effect of sucrose
concentration on water movement in the cells will be determined using the observations. The
number of plasmolyzed cells counted will be compared to an estimated total cell count of 50.
As the sucrose concentration increases, the number of plasmolyzed cells will also
increase. The process that occurs is osmosis, osmosis is the movement of water molecules
from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential through a selectively
permeable membrane. A higher sucrose concentration will shift the osmotic gradient to make
the system hypertonic, this will result in water molecules osmosing out of the epidermal cells
across the cell membrane and cell wall and moving into the sucrose solution.
At 0% concentration, it is expected that none of the cells would be plasmolyzed as the
system is hypotonic. At 0.5%, 1% and 2%, there should be successive increases in the
percentage of plasmolyzed cells as more water is drawn out of the epidermis. At 4%
concentration, it is expected that all of the cells will be plasmolyzed.
Precaution:

1. It should be ensured that the microscope is handled with care.

2. All apparatus should be washed before use.

Limitations:
The effect of the sucrose concentrations may not apply to all cells in the epidermis slide.

Environmental factors such as humidity and temperature cannot be controlled.

Assumptions:

It is assumed that the water potential of the onion strips is higher than that of the 1% and 2%
sucrose solutions.