Virtual Lab – Osmosis – Tonicity in Red Blood Cells (Animal…

Virtual Lab – Osmosis – Tonicity in Red Blood Cells (Animal Cells) Normal red blood cells have a solute concentration of 1%. When the environment contains 1% solute, the cell is in an isotonic environment. When the environment contains a solute concentration greater than 1%, the cell is hypotonic compared to the environment (the environment is hypertonic).

Molecules move across the selective barrier called the plasm…

Molecules move across the selective barrier called the plasma membrane according to their physical and chemical properties. If this process is driven by the potential energy stored in the form of a concentration gradient, it is called passive transport. Passive transport occurs without any additional energy supply by the cell. Molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration in a process called diffusion. In the first virtual lab activity, we use an artificial membrane called dialysis tubing to mimic the cell membrane. Dialysis tubing is made of cellulose (polymer of glucose) and it acts as a semipermeable barrier much like a real cell membrane. It is selective for which molecules can pass through the dialysis membrane simply based on the size of the pores found in the wall of the membrane. Small molecules will be allowed to pass through while blocking larger molecules.

Dialysis tubing is a selectively permeable membrane made wit…

Dialysis tubing is a selectively permeable membrane made with the macromolecule, cellulose. Starch, glucose, water and the IKI reagent arecontained within the dialysis membrane in solution B shown below. Solution A in the beaker, at the start of the experiment in panel (a) contains just water. Diffusion of these molecules occurs, over time, from panels (a)-(c). The only selective criterion for diffusion across a dialysis membrane is the size of the molecule. Between water, (H2O), iodine (I2K; aka IKI), glucose (C6H12O6), and starch (50+(C6H12O6), which molecule is considered large and therefore likely not to pass through a dialysis membrane (Look at the image above, as time progresses, for help)?