NAME:______________________________________

YEAR/SECTION: _____________________________

DATE:____________________
SCORE ___________________

ACTIVITY 1
CELLULAR TRANSPORT
Living organisms are composed of a big amount of water. Cells are always immersed in a
liquid environment with the different substances. These substances may move in and out of cells through
the plasma membrane causing changes in the internal and external condition of the cell. Such movement
of substances is called cellular transport. There are two kinds of cellular transport :the passive and
active. Passive cellular transport requires no energy for the movement of substances, while active
cellular transport expends an amount of energy in order to bring substances into and out of the cell.
Organisms need to survive despite the changing environmental conditions. In this activity, you will
observe how substances pass through the cells plasma membrane.
OBJECTIVES:
After completing this exercise, you should be able to:
1. Explain the cause of diffusion and osmosis.
2. Describe the effect of temperature on the rate of diffusion.
3. Explain the significance of diffusion to living cells/organisms.
MATERIALS:
Charcoal
Microscope
Pipette
Water
Beaker
Petri dish
Flour
Test tube
Egg
Salt
Gelatin
Sugar
1. SOLUTION
A. To a test tube filled with water add some crystals of salt (NaCl) or table sugar andshake gently.
What happens?________________________________________________________________________
Where have the crystals gone?____________________________________________________________
What chemical explanation is possible?_____________________________________________________
B. Repeat with a little flour.
What is the result?______________________________________________________________________
Let the test tube stand quietly for 10 or more minutes and examine again.
Is there any change?____________________________________________________________________
What is such a comcombination(water-flour) called?__________________________________________
C. Sprinkle some granulated gelatin on the surface of cold water in a beaker.
Does it behave like the salt or sugar?_______________________________________________________

Set the beaker aside and examine a day or more later.

Record your observation.________________________________________________________________.
2. EMULSION
Add a few drops of oil to a test tube half full of alcohol. Shake well and pour into water; a fine white
emulsion should result. Place a few drops on a glass slide and examine under microscope. Pour contents
of the test tube into a beaker, set aside for a time, and observe.
Does the oil settle out?__________________________________________________________________
3. Sol vs. Gel
Sprinkle 1.0 gm of granulated gelatin on 25ml of water in a beaker. Let it stand until gelatin is well
wetted. Then warm gently over a flame until gelatin disappears(dissolve).Now it is in sol state. Put a few
drops on a glass slide and allow it to dry until the next day.
What is the texture of the rsulting film?_____________________________________________________
Is it like the residue from evaporating a salt soulution?_________________________________________
Place the beaker with its content in cold water.
What changes occur?___________________________________________________________________
Remove a bit of the contents and determine its texture; this is the gel state.Rewarm the tube.
What happens?________________________________________________________________________
4. ADSORPTION
Shake 10ml of methylene blue solution with a little black carbon particles(pulverized) and let the the
mixture stand overnight.
What happens?________________________________________________________________________
How does adsorption differ from absorption?________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Would large carbon particles be more, less or equally effective?
__________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Why?________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. CAPILLARITY
Stand a pipette of small (1mm) internal diameter in a beaker of water. Compare the water level in the tube
with that in a beaker.
What has happened?____________________________________________________________________
What forces are the basis for the phenomenon observed?_______________________________________
6. DIFFUSION IN A COLLOID.
Pour about 5ml of hot 4 or 5 percent gelatin solution into each of two test tubes and cool them in water
until the gelatin has set. Then introduce about 10ml of the following solutions separately into the tubes; 1.
Copper sulfate or methylene blue; 2. Congo red. Examine a day or so later. No. 1 is colloidal, 2. Is
colloidal.
What can you conclude as to duffusion of the two types of material in a colloid(gelatin)?______________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. DIFFUSION AND TEMPERATURE
a.Fill three 250ml beakers about two thirds full with tap water at different temperatures.Beaker A with ice
water, Beaker B room temperature, Beaker 600C to 70 0C.
b.Measure and record the temperature of the water in each beaker.
c.Place the beaker on your table where they will not be disturbed and can remain motionless.
d.Drop a small granule of potassium permanganate into each beaker without disturbing the water.
e.Observe the beaker at 5 minute intervals and record the time required for the molecules of potassium
permanganate to diffuse throughtout the water in each beaker.
BEAKER A:TEMPERATURE _________________DIFFUSIONTIME:__________________________
BEAKER B:TEMPERATURE:_________________DIFFUSION TIME:__________________________
BEAKER C:TEMPERATURE:_________________DIFFUSION TIME:__________________________
8. OSMOTIC PRESSURE
Gently breakopen the blunt end of an eggbut do not damage the delicate membrane enclosing the
albumin; enlarge the opening to expose the air chamber. Stand the egg, pointed end down, in a slender
beaker and add enough water so the shell is surrounded to a level just below the open end.Put aside and
observe later in the laboratory period.
Has the membrane sweeled up in the air chamber?____________________________________________
Why has it done so?____________________________________________________________________
What force has caused the enlargement?____________________________________________________
What can you conclude as to permeability of the shell?_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________