PERFORMANCE TASK #2.

3
CELLULAR TRANSPORT

NAME: _____________________________ DATE PERFORMED: ________________

SECTION: ___________________________ DATE SUBMITTED: ________________

PART 1: Observing Diffusion

Introduction:

Molecules are in constant motion and tend to move from regions where they are in higher
concentration to regions where they are less concentrated. Diffusion is the net movement of molecules
down their concentration gradient. Diffusion can occur in gases, in liquids, or through solids.

OBJECTIVE:
 To demonstrate and understand clearly the cellular process of diffusion.

Materials

Green Tea bag

4 pieces of 50 mL beaker
Hot and cold water

Ball pen ink

Condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Timer

Procedure

 Green tea bag (temperature)

1. In a clean beaker, put at most 50 mL of hot water and carefully place the green tea gab in it.
Observe. Label the beaker as beaker A. Determine the time when the green tea spreads.
2. On another beaker, pour out 50 mL. of cold water and carefully place another green tea bag
in it. Label the second beaker as beaker B. Observe. Determine the time when the green tea
spreads.

Dependent variable: ___________________________________________________________________

Independent Variable: _________________________________________________________________

 Ball pen ink and the milk (Solvent Density)

1. Place two beakers on a flat surface and label each as beaker A and B.
2. In beaker A, pour 25 mL. of evaporated milk.
 3. Right after pouring the evaporated milk, pour 2 drops of the ball pen ink on the milk and
observe and record the time it takes for the ink to spread.
4. Repeat procedure 2 and 3 using condensed milk instead of the evaporated milk.

Dependent variable: ___________________________________________________________________

Independent Variable: _________________________________________________________________

Define the following:

1. Diffusion-

2. Concentration gradient-

Questions:

1. Give at least one example of diffusion happening outside the school.

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2. Why diffusion is considered passive transport mechanism?

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3. How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion?

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4. How does distance travelled affect the rate of diffusion inside the cytoplasm?
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 5. How does the solvent density affect diffusion inside the cytoplasm?
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6. What are the factors affecting the rate of diffusion aside from the three experiments
performed? And how do they affect it?
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7. What relationship exists between the rate of diffusion and solvent density? Why?
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CONCLUSION:

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DOCUMENTATION:
 PART 2: INVESTIGATING OSMOSIS

Introduction:

Molecules undergo constant motion, which enables them to move from one region to another.
The motion of a molecule in solution is constantly affected by collisions with other molecules, which
results in random motion. During osmosis, the diffusion of water molecules down a concentration
gradient occurs across a semi-permeable membrane. A semi– permeable membrane is a membrane
which allows some materials to pass through while rejecting others.

Objectives:

 To predict the net movement of molecules across a semipermeable membrane;

 To differentiate between different degrees of concentration gradients;
 To understand clearly the process of osmosis.

Materials:

Potato Salt Sugar

Water Petri Dish Spoon
Marker Masking Tape Cutter or Scalpel

Procedures:

1. Fill three dishes with water.

2. In the first dish, add 2-3 tablespoons of salt, add 2-3 tablespoon of sugar to the second dish,
and to the third dish, simply use tap water, and stir it in. Make sure you label which dish has
the salt, sugar, and which dish doesn’t.
3. Make three thin slices of potato – ½ cm thick. (Do not peel the potato.)
4. Place each potato slice into each of the solutions, and leave the slices in the solutions for
half an hour.
5. Record your observations.

Questions:

1. What do the potato slices represents in this experiment?

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2. Which prepared solutions were hypertonic to the potato cell? How do you know?
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3. Describe the net movement of the substance in question as it relates to these solutions. What
process is occurring in the plant cell? Knowing this, why do you think workers in a grocery store
spray vegetables with water?
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4. Which prepared solutions were hypotonic to the potato cell? How do you know? 
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5. Were any of the prepared solutions isotonic to the potato cell? How do you know?
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6. Would this experiment work with animal cells? If no, propose a reason why the data may be
skewed in this situation.
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Table 1. Observations

OBSERVATIONS (AFTER HALF AN HOUR)

TYPE OF SOLUTIONS
COLOR TEXTURE FLEXIBILITY OTHER
TEST OBSERVATIONS

       

SALT SOLUTIONS

       

SUGAR SOLUTIONS

       

WATER

CONCLUSION:

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DOCUMENTATION: