EXPERIMENT 6

THE CELL MEMBRANE

GROUP 7
 OBJECTIVES
TO SYNTHESIZE AN ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANE
TO OBSERVE THE DONNAN MEMBRANE
PHENOMENA
 THEORIES TO BEGIN WITH

INTERACTION BETWEEN WATER AND OIL

 ALBUMIN IS COMPOSED OF WATER-SOLUBLE PROTEINS

WITH NON-POLAR PROTEIN POCKETS

RUPTURE

split
 OSMOTIC PRESSURE

MINIMUM PRESSURE WHICH NEEDS TO BE APPLIED TO A

SOLUTION TO PREVENT INWARD FLOW OF WATER
ACROSS A SEMIPERMEABLE MEMBRANE.
 OSMOTIC EFFECT

ISOTONIC SOLUTION OSMOTIC PRESSURE EQUAL TO THE CELL

HYPOTONIC SOLUTION OSMOTIC PRESSURE LESS THAN OF THE
CELL
HYPERTONIC SOLUTION OSMOTIC PRESSURE MORE THAN OF THE
CELL

- WHEN CHARGED-
PARTICLES NEAR A SEMI
PERMEABLE MEMBRANE
FAILS TO DISTRIBUTE
EQUALLY ACROSS THE 2
SIDES OF THE MEMBRANE

DONNAN MEMBRANE PHENOMENA

 IMPERMEANT ION ON ONE SIDE OF MEMBRANE WILL CAUSE
ASYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF PERMEANT CHARGED IONS.
DONNAN EQUATION AT EQUILIBRIUM
[NASIDE 1] [CLSIDE 1] = [NASIDE 2] [CLSIDE 2]
 EXPERIMENTAL DATA:

ALBUMIN SOLUTION ON OIL DID NOT RUPTURE BUT BROKE.

WATER ON OIL BROKE BUT DID NOT RUPTURED.

 DONNAN MEMBRANE PHENOMENA

Initial pH: 3.8 pH inside: 3.2

pH inside: 3.8 pH outside: 3.3
pH outside: 3.8 Water level inside: higher
Water level inside: same
 Set up B initial pH: 7.5
pH inside: 7.5
pH outside: 7.5
Water level inside: Same

Set up B after few hours

pH outside: 7.0
pH inside 7.1
Water level inside: higher
 QUESTIONS

1. ILLUSTRATE THE TYPES OF MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS POSSIBLE IN THE

MEMBRANE LAYER.
 2. RECALL THE STRUCTURE OF A DETERGENT
MOLECULE. HOW CAN THIS DISRUPT MEMBRANE
INTERACTIONS.
3. WHICH ONE HAS HIGHER SURFACE TENSION, PURE
WATER OR AN ALBUMIN SOLUTION?

PURE WATER HAS HIGHER SURFACE TENSION.

 4. HOW DOES SURFACE TENSION EXPLAIN THE
DIFFERENCE IN BEHAVIOR OF THE ALBUMIN SOLUTION
AND OF THE WATER WHEN PLACED IN OIL?
WHEN A DROP OF WATER WAS PLACED ON OIL, IT ONLY MOVED OR INDENTED BECAUSE
WATER HAS HIGH SURFACE TENSION. THE COHESION FORCE THAT BIND SIMILAR MOLECULES IS
STRONG AND THE ADHESIVE FORCE THAT BINDS A SUBSTANCE TO THE SURFACE, OIL, IS WEAK
DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN POLARITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, ALTHOUGH THE ALBUMIN DROPLET
MOVES AND INDENTS, IT RUPTURED AFTER WE POKED IT. ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT ALBUMIN
HAS LOWER SURFACE TENSION THAN WATER, ALBUMIN IS ALSO COMPOSED OF PROTEINS
WHICH ARE KNOWN TO HAVE NONPOLAR COMPOUNDS. THE NONPOLAR COMPOUNDS OF
THE ALBUMIN MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTED IN THE RUPTURING OF THE DROPLET.
 5.DEFINE THE FOLLOWING:

A. HEMOLYSIS IT IS THE RUPTURING OF RED BLOOD CELLS DUE TO HYPOTONIC CONDITIONS

B. CRENATION THE SHRINKING OF CELLS UNDER THE PRESENCE OF HYPERTONIC MEDIUM
C. PLASMOLYSIS SHRINKING OF PLANT CELL DUE TO LOSS OF WATER
D. TURGIDITY IT IS THE SWELLING OF PLANT CELL DUE TO HIGH AMOUNT OF WATER IN IT.
 6. EXPLAIN THE IRRITATION IN THE EYES AFTER
SWIMMING IN THE SEA. HOW WOULD EYE DROP
EASE THIS IRRITATION?
THE SEA WATER HAS HIGH SALT CONCENTRATION MAKING IT HYPERTONIC
RELATIVE TO THE EYES. THE IRRITATION MAY BE CAUSE BY THE LOSS OF WATER
IN THE EYES. USING EYE DROPS WOULD EASE THE IRRITATION BY ADDING
MOISTURE WHICH RESTORES THE WATER LOST.
7. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS EXPECTED TO HAVE
HIGHER TONICITY:

A. MARINE FISH CELLS OR FRESH WATER CELLS?

MARINE WATER CELLS

B. ARCTIC FISH CELLS OR TROPICAL FISH CELLS?

TROPICAL FISH CELLS
 8. EXPLAIN THE CHANGE IN .

DONE
 9. CORRELATE THE PRINCIPLE OF DIALYSIS WITH THE
FUNCTION OF THE KIDNEY MACHINE USED IN CASES
OF UREMIA.
UREMIA IS A CASE WHERE THERE IS HIGH CONCENTRATION OF NITROGENOUS
SUBSTANCE IN THE BLOOD. TO TREAT THIS SICKNESS, THE BLOOD OF THE
PATIENT IS PURIFIED FROM THE WASTE PRODUCTS USING KIDNEY MACHINES
THROUGH THE METHOD OF DIALYSIS. BLOOD FLOWS ON ONE SIDE OF THE
SEMIPERMEABLE MEMBRANE THAT CONTAINS SMALL HOLES THAT ALLOWS
SMALLER SOLUTES TO PASS THROUGH BUT BLOCKS LARGER BIOMOLECULES
TO GO THROUGH IT.