SUBJECT: BIOLOGY

GRADE: 10
DATE: MARCH 6, 2023- MARCH 10
DURATION: 2 WEEKS
TOPIC: OSMOSIS & ACTIVE TRANSPORT

Specific Objectives:

 Explain the processes of osmosis and active transport

 Discuss the importance of osmosis and active transport in living systems.

General Objectives:
 Explain the processes of osmosis and why is it a form of diffusion
 Clearly explain the effects of isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic solutions on plant and
animal cells
 Cite examples of osmosis occurring in living organisms.
 Investigate the different osmotic solutions on plant tissue
 Investigate the different osmotic solutions on animal tissue

Key Vocabulary:
osmosis, diffusion, molecules, concentration, concentration gradient, particles, hypotonic,
isotonic, hypertonic
Resources and Materials: Communication devices, textbooks, internet sources/images, marker,
whiteboard, power point presentations
Teaching Strategies/Methodologies:
Group activities, cooperative groups, use of visuals, concept maps, discussion, questioning.
Content
Movement by Osmosis

Osmosis is a special kind of diffusion. It is the diffusion of water molecules across a selectively
permeable membrane. Cell membranes are all selectively permeable membranes. ‘Selectively
permeable’ means that water and some substances can pass through the membrane, but other
substances do not.

Osmosis in Plant Cells

When a plant cell is put into a solution that has the same concentration as the cell contents
(isotonic), some water molecules will move into the cell through the cell membrane, and some
will move out. There is no concentration gradient so the movements each way are the same and
balance each other out. We say there is no net movement, or net flow, of water.

When a plant cell is put into a solution that is less concentrated (hypotonic) than the cell
contents, there is a greater concentration of water molecules outside than inside. Some water
molecules move out of the cell but more move into the cell, so there is a net flow of water into
the cell. The cell becomes full of water and is described as being turgid.

When a plant cell is put into a solution that is more concentrated (hypertonic) than the cell
contents, there are fewer water molecules outside than inside. A few water molecules will move
into the cell but many more moves out of it, so there is a net flow of water out of the cell. The
cell loses water and is described as being flaccid. Flaccid cells are easy to distinguish under the
microscope because the cell membrane and contents pull away from the cell wall.
Osmosis in Animal Cells

An animal cell has no cell wall like a plant cell, so hypotonic and hypertonic solutions have
different effects. In a hypotonic (dilute) solution there is a net flow of water into the cell. With no
strong cell wall to prevent the membrane from stretching too far, it eventually bursts. In a
hypertonic (concentrated) solution there is a net flow of water out of the cell and the cell shrinks.

Cells need to be protected from large changes in the concentration of the solutions around them.
Animal bodies have complex mechanisms to do this called osmoregulation and homeostasis
Week 1
To begin this lesson, the necessity for the cell membrane as a physical barrier protecting the
contents of the cell will be discussed with the class. The selective permeability of the cell will be
emphasized.
Students will be told that osmosis is a form of diffusion with only a semi-permeable
membrane/movement of water being the difference.
With previous knowledge of what diffusion is, students with the help of the teacher will
formulate a definition for osmosis through probing.
A video will she shown for students to get a visual representation of how and where water moves
to when solute concentrations are either high or low (8) Osmosis and Water Potential (Updated) -
YouTube

The different osmotic solutions will be explored

Week 2
Laboratory exercise- To investigate osmosis in a plant cell (potato cell) using different osmotic
solutions
The difference between plant cells and animal cells in each solution will be explored, noting that
plant cells have a cell wall while an animal cell does not have a cell wall.

Assessment
Describe how osmosis is used in transport by a plant. (4 marks)
Explain why controlling osmosis in cells is an important part of the control of diabetes. (4
marks)
Predict how the levels of X and Y would change after one hour.
X ............................................................................................................................
Y ............................................................................................................................. (1 mark)
(ii) Compare the two processes by which the particles are moving in the experiment in Figure 6
on page 11 and the experiment in Figure
7. ................................................................................................................................. ......................
........................................................................................................... ................................................
................................................................................. ..........................................................................
....................................................... (2 marks)