Investigating Cell Permeability

Question 1

What experiment do you do to see the affect on cell mambrane permeability ?

Answer 1

Beetroot test

Using different variables like temp / solvent conc

Question 2

What RP is this ?

Answer 2

4

Investigation cell membrane permeability

Question 3

Why do we use beetroot for this experiment ?

Answer 3

As they contain a coloured pigment that leaks out

The higher the permeability of membrane the more pigment leaks out

Question 4

How to carry out investigation on how temp affects beetroot membrane permeability

Answer 4

1. scapel to cut 5 equal sized pieces of beetroot. Rinse to remove any pigment.
2. Add5 pieces to five different test tubes each containing 5cm3 of water. Use cylinder/ pipette to measure it out.
3. Place each testtube in water baths at different temps for same length of time
4. Remove pieces of beetroot from tubes leaving coloured liquid
5. Use colorimeter. Allow to stabilise for 5 mins then set it to blue filter
6. Add distilled water to cuvette so it’s 3/4s full and put it colorimeter. Calibrate machine to 0.
7. Pipette to transfer sample of liquid from first test tube to clean cuvette
8. Put cuvette in colorimeter/ read and record absorbance
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for liquids in 4 remaining test tubes clean pipette each time.
10. Analyse results

Question 5

Higher the absorbance…

Answer 5

More pigment releases

So higher permeability of membrane

Question 6

How to make results more accurate ?

Answer 6

Connect colorimeter to computer and use software to collect data and draw graph

Question 7

Investigating effect of solvent on beetroot

Answer 7

Place beetroot in cubes in different concentrations of solvent

It will increase membrane permeability because silent dissolved lipids in cell membrane causing it too lose structure.