Diffusion Of Water And Osmosis Experiment

Diffusion is the movement of particles down their concentration gradient. Although, this concept can sound complicated it simply means that whatever is being discussed moves from an area where there is a high concentration of the substance to an area where the concentration is lower. This type of process requires no ATP (Adenine triphosphate) which is the major source of energy on the cellular level. Osmosis refers specifically to the diffusion of water. The tonicity or internal tension of a cell is heavily affected by osmosis. If a cell is placed in a solution with more solute than inside of the cell, the solution is said to be hypertonic and the cell shrinks. However, if a cell is placed in a solution with less solute than the cell, water will rush into the cell causing it to swell. When the solute concentration is almost equal this is referred to as an isotonic solution. These principles have many practical applications in everyday life. For example, doctors and nurses must exercise caution with the IV solutions that are given to patients because depending on the concentration of the IV solution the body cells could shrink or swell (VanPutte, Regan, & Russo, 2016). In a non medical …show more content…
Those performing this lab should be able to determine the tonicity of the solution at the conclusion. The dialysis tubing will serve as the selectively permeable membrane. The dialysis tubing in this experiment can be compared to the cell membranes of our cells. Selectively permeable membrane means that it separates the inside contents from the environment and controls what passes inside. Salt fills the dialysis tubing, and the dialysis tube is sealed. The tube is then submerged into a cup of water. After a few minutes a visible difference in the tube should be observed. My hypothesis is that the dialysis tubing will fill with water, because the solution is