Week 2

Question 1

What is the difference between brownian movement and diffusion

Answer 1

In Brownian movement the movement of individual particles is random, with diffusion the net movement of the particles move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration

Question 2

How would the rate of diffusion of a substance be influenced by temperature? Explain.

Answer 2

Higher temperatures increase the energy and therefore the movement of the particles, increasing the rate of diffusion

Question 3

If the cytosol of a bacterial cell is hypotonic to its environment, what would you expect to happen?
Explain.

Answer 3

The cell should decrease in size

Question 4

The right side of an aquarium has a solution of salt in water. The left side of this aquarium has a solution of sugar in water. If the right side is hypertonic to the left side, which way will the sugar diffuse?

Answer 4

The sugar molecules will not be able to diffuse at all