Diffusion Lab Essay

Diffusion Essay

In Class we have been talking about diffusion and osmosis, and later we did a lab. The purpose of the lab was to see if we understood diffusion and osmosis. The definition of diffusion is the process by which molecules from an area of lower concentration. Therefore the definition of osmosis is diffusion of water molecules (H2O) though a selectivity semi permeable membrane. In the lab we had to put starch into a bag which represents organelles, and the bag represents the semi permeable cell membrane. Then we filled a beaker half way with water, and the added two or three drops of Iodine. The iodine represents an indicator and nutrients for the cell. The Iodine is hypertonic so it dilutes into the bag of starch. Soon the water becomes hypotonic, and the concentration is now isotonic.  Our prediction was that the iodine would turn the starch purple.

My analysis of the lab is that for most of the experiments you have to wait a little longer for the starch to dilute the baggie. But after a while the starch inside the baggie turns a purple color. Sometimes for this project to work you have to have the right materials and the right brand of baggies. The problem with ours is that we didn’t have the right kind or brand of plastic baggies. In the procedure you are required to add starch to a baggie, add water and iodine into a beaker, and place closed baggie into beaker and watch how diffusion and osmosis works.

Also, some examples of diffusions and osmosis in life are in some restaurants sliced potatoes are soaked in water before they are fried. Also, Diffusion of gas particles enables smell, so flowers/fruit can attract animals/insects by scent leading to fertilization or dispersion of seed particles. Also, Osmosis is used in plants, and growing crops. Finally, diffusion is responsible for the movement of oxygen from carrying red blood cells to different cells. Osmosis carries nutrients from the circulatory system into the cells and water also is responsible for carrying dissolved wastes away from the cells.