BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL Y ECOLOGÍA

INGENIERÍA AGRÍCOLA – EIDENAR

UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
Doc. LISBETH CORREA MELO. Mg

MOVEMENT ACROSS THE CELL MEMBRANE

Objetivos de aprendizaje para el simulador:

1. Predecir cuándo las partículas se moverán a través de la membrana y cuándo no lo harán.

2. Identifique qué tipo de partícula se difundirá según los tipos de canales presente
3. Predecir la velocidad de difusión según el número y el tipo de canales presentes

MEMBRANE DIFFUSION LAB

In this lab, you will explore the process of diffusion across a semi-permeable cell membrane.

Part 1:

1. Go to the following website: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/membrane-channels

2. Click “Run Now” (bright green)
3. Add 5 blue “Gated Channels” – space them out evenly
a. Make sure the channels are closed
4. Let the green dots represent solute (like salt) and the blue diamond’s represent water molecules
5. Add 20 green dots and 20 blue diamonds into the top section of the cell (let this be the inside of the cell)
6. Add 40 blue diamonds to the bottom section of the cell (let this be the outside of the cell)
7. Is the cell “hypotonic”, “hypertonic” or “isotonic” to the surrounding fluid? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________
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8. You are about to open both of the channels at the same time, what do you expect to happen?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
9. Open both types of channels at the same time and begin a timer for 15 seconds.
10. After 15 seconds, pause the simulation and count how many green dots and blue diamonds are one each
side of the cell membrane.

Inside of Cell (top of simulation) Outside of cell (bottom of simulation)

Water molecules Water molecules
Solute (green dots) Solute (green dots)
(blue diamonds) (blue diamonds)

0 seconds 20 20 0 40

15 Seconds
30 Seconds
45 Seconds
60 Seconds
BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL Y ECOLOGÍA
INGENIERÍA AGRÍCOLA – EIDENAR
UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
Doc. LISBETH CORREA MELO. Mg
11. If you could see this cell and could watch this happen, what would you see the cell do?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Part 2:
12. Click the “Clear Particles” icon
13. Add 20 green dots and 40 blue diamonds into the top section of the cell (let this be the inside of the cell)
14. Add 20 blue diamonds to the bottom section of the cell (let this be the outside of the cell)
15. Is the cell “hypotonic”, “hypertonic” or “isotonic” to the surrounding fluid? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
16. You are about to open both of the channels at the same time, what do you expect to happen?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
17. Open both types of channels at the same time and begin a timer for 15 seconds.
18. After 15 seconds, pause the simulation and count how many green dots and blue diamonds are one each
side of the cell membrane.

Inside of Cell (top of simulation) Outside of cell (bottom of simulation)

Solute (green Water molecules Solute (green Water molecules (blue
dots) (blue diamonds) dots) diamonds)

0 seconds 20 40 0 20

15 Seconds
30 Seconds
45 Seconds
60 Seconds

19. If you could see this cell and could watch this happen, what would you see the cell do?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Part 3:
20. Click the “Clear Particles” icon
21. Add 20 green dots and 40 blue diamonds into the top section of the cell (let this be the inside of the cell)
22. Add 40 blue diamonds to the bottom section of the cell (let this be the outside of the cell)
23. Is the cell “hypotonic”, “hypertonic” or “isotonic” to the surrounding fluid? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
24. You are about to open both of the channels at the same time, what do you expect to happen?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
25. Open both types of channels at the same time and begin a timer for 15 seconds.
26. After 15 seconds, pause the simulation and count how many green dots and blue diamonds are one each
side of the cell membrane.
BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL Y ECOLOGÍA
INGENIERÍA AGRÍCOLA – EIDENAR
UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
Doc. LISBETH CORREA MELO. Mg
Inside of Cell (top of simulation) Outside of cell (bottom of simulation)
Solute (green Water molecules Solute (green Water molecules
dots) (blue diamonds) dots) (blue diamonds)

0 seconds 20 40 0 40

15 Seconds
30 Seconds
45 Seconds
60 Seconds
27. If you could see this cell and could watch this happen, what would you see the cell do?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

28. Construct a graph. But, before you do, answer the following questions:
a. What do you think is the important information to graph?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
b. Is the data you chose to graph, relevant to our lab?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
c. What type of graph should you create (i.e. line graph, bar graph, pie chart, etc.)? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL Y ECOLOGÍA
INGENIERÍA AGRÍCOLA – EIDENAR
UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
Doc. LISBETH CORREA MELO. Mg
29. What can you learn by looking at your graph?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
30. Use your graph to make a claim about this investigation.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

DIFFUSION LAB

Add 50 green particles

1. Slow the animation down and describe the motion of the green particles. Is it random are pre-determined?
What happens when the particles hit each other?

2. What does the membrane do?

3. What do you think a membrane is?

4. Click on the show concentrations box. How would you describe the concentration of the green particles on
the top half of the membrane? How would you describe the concentration of green particles below the
membrane?

Add 3 evenly spaced gated channels to the membrane. Speed up the animation again and then click the Open
Channels button.

5. The process you are observing is the process of diffusion. Describe the process using the key words particle,
movement, concentration, high and low.
BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL Y ECOLOGÍA
INGENIERÍA AGRÍCOLA – EIDENAR
UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
Doc. LISBETH CORREA MELO. Mg
6. Closely observe the motion of the particles again and describe why diffusion takes place.

Click on the reset all button and set up the green particles again. This time do the same thing with the blue
particles.

7. Speed up the animation to full speed. Open both gates and observe the concentrations. Wait for at least 1
minute. What happens to the concentration lines on both sides of the membrane?

This is called the equilibrium point. The concentrations will change somewhat on either side of the membrane
but they will stay relatively equal.

See a video on diffusion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7QsDs8ZRMI

8. Why do particles diffuse faster in a vacuum?

9. Why do nitrogen oxide particles travel faster than bromine particles?

10. How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion? Why do you think this is so?

Go back to the animation and press reset. Fill the top half with the maximum particles. Place 3 gated channels
into the membrane. Set the animation speed to full speed then go to http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ and
start the stop watch and open the channels at the same time. Time how long it takes to reach the equilibrium
point.

Reset the animation and do the same thing with 50 particles.

11. Which one was faster? How does concentration affect the rate of diffusion?

12. How do you think the thickness of the membrane would affect the rate of diffusion? Why?

13. How do you think the surface are of the membrane would affect the rate of diffusion? Why

14. develop a definition of osmosis and dynamic equilibrium