Osmosis &

TONICITY
Explain the transport mechanism in cells
[STEM_BIO11/12-Ig-h-13]
 The following is true about diffusion
except :
A. Application of pressure increases the rate of
diffusion
B. Higher temperature results in a faster rate of
diffusion
C. The solubility of the solute does not affect the
rate of diffusion
D. The higher the density of the solvent, the slower
the rate of diffusion
 Osmosis requires:

A. Energy production
B. A concentration gradient
C. A semipermeable membrane
D. A water potential gradient
 If someone at the other end of a
restaurant smokes a cigarette, you may
breathe in some smoke. The movement of
smoke is similar to what type of transport?
A. Osmosis
B. Diffusion
C. Facilitated diffusion
D. Active transport
 Diffusion occurs because:

A. Molecules are attracted to one another

B. Molecules constantly move and collide with one
another
C. Cellular energy forces molecules to collide with one
another
D. Cellular energy pumps molecules into the
membrane
 During diffusion, when the concentration of
molecules on both sides of the membrane is
equal, molecules will:

A. Move across the membrane to the outside of the

cell
B. Stop moving across the membrane
C. Continue to move across the membrane in both
directions
D. Move across the membrane to the inside of the cell
Explain how the
tonicity of living cells
power the mechanism
of osmosis.
OBJECTIVE
Able to explain
osmosis by
comparing tonicity
of cells.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
“Leaky Cucumber”

Why (and how) did water

leaked out of the
cucumber?
ASSIGNMENT:

Why is it dangerous to
drink seawater, especially
when freshwater is scarce?
Passive transport

Osmosis: Water Potential

and Osmotic Pressure
Water composition in our bodies

25%

75%

WATER OTHER FLUIDS

Water potential
• The
movement of water molecules as
they undergo osmosis
• Themeasure of difference between
the force that pushes water
molecules and the force exerted by
the membrane
A water solution with less
solute (more diluted solution)
has higher water potential, as
compared to a water solution
with more solute (more
concentrated solution).
Water potential gradient
•Established when 2
solutions of different water
potentials are separated by
a semipermeable membrane,
thus, allowing osmosis.
Osmotic pressure
- the difference in the level of the two
solutions after osmosis. It is the force that
moves water molecules through a
semipermeable membrane. The water
solutions where cells are immersed vary in
the ratio of solutes present and the solvent
of water.
Osmotic pressure
- A measure of the tendency of a
solution to take up water when
separated from pure water by a
selectively permeable membrane
 Passive transport

Osmosis: Tonicity
Perform activity:

Soak It Up
Soak It Up
• About75% of living cells are made up of water.
Because concentrations of solutes in water
differs in and out of the cells, water molecules
have the tendency to move across the cell
membrane in order to gain equal concentrations
of solutes. When water undergoes movement
across the membrane, the phenomenon is called
water potential. Water potential can be observed
in the bending of leafy vegetables as water
enters or exits the cells of the plant.
Soak It Up
• Objective:Study the water potential
in pechay and radish.
• Materials: (should be from the same
part of the plant)
Stalks of pechay in different solutions
Several slices of radish in different
solutions (diluted salt & concentrated salt
solutions)
Soak It Up
• Procedure:
Study and record before and after
appearance of the plants in a table
Answer post-lab questions and make
your own conclusions individually
 Soak It Up
Distilled Concentrated
Characteristics
water salt sol’n
Length

Thickness

Shape

Texture
 Soak It Up
• Post-lab questions:
1. Of the two solutions used in the activity, which one
has the lowest and highest water potential in
comparison with the plant cell? Explain your
answer.
2. What is the objective of cutting the strips of pechay
and radish from the same part of the plant?
3. Compared to the solution, how is the cell’s tonicity?
Guide questions:
1.What do it refer to as “concentration”?
2.How is dynamic equilibrium established?
3.How are ion-dipole interactions established?
4.How does plasmolysis occur? Cytolysis?
5.How can isotonic solutions establish dynamic
equilibrium of intra-and extracellular
molecules?
6.Why should we not drink seawater?
What are the possible
effects of osmosis in
plants and human
cells?
Share your experience:

What are the great

applications of the
principles on the tonicity of
living cells?
Illustration
Analysis:
Grading rubrics:
1 point – no evidence provided, very few and irrelevant info provided, submitted very late
2 points – few evidence provided, few and irrelevant info provided, submitted very late
3 points – enough evidence provided, few info provided, submitted late
4 points – substantial evidence provided, satisfactory info provided, submitted on time
5 points – excellent evidence and arguments presented, submitted on or before time
1. In the diagram
opposite, what term
can be used to
describe solution A in
contrast to solution
B?

2. If a cell is placed in
fresh water, what
term could be used to
describe the
freshwater in
contrast to the cell
contents?
Illustration
Analysis:
Grading rubrics:
1 point – no evidence provided, very few and irrelevant info provided, submitted very late
2 points – few evidence provided, few and irrelevant info provided, submitted very late
3 points – enough evidence provided, few info provided, submitted late
4 points – substantial evidence provided, satisfactory info provided, submitted on time
5 points – excellent evidence and arguments presented, submitted on or before time
ASSIGNMENT ½ CW
(1)Explain what is happening in the setup of the
experiment.
(2)How is this model useful in explaining the entry
of water into the xylem from the soil?
(3)Using your knowledge of osmosis and diffusion,
explain why plants store all their excess
carbohydrates as insoluble starch.
(4)Why is it an advantage for roots to have a large
surface area?