How Osmosis Affects Egg Mass

By: Stacy Stroud Introduction Passive Transport is when a substance can move in and out of a cell without having to expend energy to do so (Raven. 2013). One prime example of passive transport is Osmosis. Osmosis is the net diffusion of water across a membrane towards a higher solute concentration (Raven. 2013). Osmosis is significant to cells because it aids in the distribution of nutrients and removal of toxic waste. In this experiment we will test the affects osmosis has on the mass of the egg by gaining or losing water. The hypothesis of this experiment is that if we place the egg in a hypertonic solution (water) the water will go through the membrane and inside the egg; if we place the egg in a hypotonic solution (corn syrup) the water will move outside of the egg. The predictions for this experiment are that in the hypertonic solution (water) the egg will grow or gain mass; and in a hypotonic solution (corn syrup) the egg will shrink or lose mass. Methods The methods to conducting the experiment are simple. First, you must de-shell the eggs. To de-shell the eggs you must place them in acetic acid (vinegar) for 48 hours. The acetic acid will chemically react with the shell causing it to turn into Calcium Acetate, water, and CO2. 2(CH3COOH) + CaCO3 Ca(CH3COO)2 + H2O + CO2 The next step to the experimentation process is to disperse one of the eggs into distilled water and one in corn syrup. You also need to have replicators because the more data you obtain the more significant change you will see and you will get more meaning from the experiment. Step three of the experiment is to observe the eggs. Over the course of a couple of days you need to observe the eggs while frequently obtaining the mass of each

How Osmosis Affects Egg Mass

By: Stacy Stroud egg to determine if the egg is gaining or losing water. At end of the observation period you should compare all the initial and final masses to determine what how much osmosis affected the egg. Results and Discussion After conducting the experiment the results were clear. The egg that was placed in the hypertonic solution (corn syrup) shrunk or decreased in mass. The initial and final masses on four eggs tested in the hypertonic solution (corn syrup) were all closely related. All four eggs were close to a 45-gram drop in mass. The egg in the hypotonic solution (distilled water) grew or increased in mass. The initial and final masses on the four eggs placed in the hypertonic solution (distilled water) all averaged about a 12-gram increase in mass. This is an important study because this is how our cells in our body work also. The cells use osmosis to obtain nutrients from outside sources and also to remove toxins within the cell. The experiment can also give us a better understanding to how osmosis works and why it is important to the survival of a cell. References Raven. 2013. Biology 10th Edition 96-100