OSMOSIS
LABORATORY MANUAL
MAJOR PERFORMANCE TASK in GENERAL BIOLOGY 1
Term 1, A.Y. 2023-2024
Name Date
Grade and Section Teacher
Objectives:
To demonstrate osmosis and the permeability of the cell membrane.
Use plant cells to demonstrate how the loss of water through osmosis.
Safety Precaution:
All waste should be disposed of in the container labeled WASTE at the back.
Remember to clean up any spills, wash glassware and return all items to proper
trays.
Use proper labeling techniques.
Measurement must be accurate.
During heating the solution, use a test-tube holder.
Don’t face the test tube towards oneself or others during heating.
Heating should be done at least thrice before reporting negative.
Reminders:
Make sure to check and study in advance of what you are experiment about. Do
tasking for each member in your group.
Check the materials your teacher asked you to bring for the experiment.
Wear your safety gears, incomplete laboratory outfit - no entry
o Laboratory gown/coat
o Hand gloves
o Surgical mask
o Goggles (optional)
Girls with long hair should be tight.
Each group should provide your towel/paper towel for cleaning.
Do not leave the laboratory without cleaning your working area.
A. Introduction:
The process of moving water across a semi-permeable membrane from a low
concentrated solution to a high concentrated solution is called osmosis. A semi-
permeable membrane is a thin sheet of tissue or layer of cells acting as a wall that
allows only some molecules to pass through. In plants, water enters the roots by
osmosis. The plants have a higher concentration of solutes in their roots than in the
soil. This causes water to move into the roots. The water then travels up the roots to
the rest of the plant. Osmosis works in both directions. If you put a plant into water
with a higher salt concentration than the concentration inside its cells, water will move
out of the plant. If this happens then the plant shrinks and will eventually die. Which
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potato pieces do you think will expand and which will shrink in size as the water moves
from a low concentration to a high concentration?
B. Materials and Reagents needed:
Materials needed: Others:
5 pcs Small jars Gum label/masking tape
5 pcs Small Potatoes Marker
20 mL Salt water Lab gown/coat
20 mL Warm water Surgical gloves
20 mL Cold water Face mask
20 mL Vinegar Ruler/Tape measure
20 mL Sucrose solution Timer
C. Procedure:
1. Take note of the size of the potato sizes and consistencies before placing
them inside each small jars.
2. Place each potato in the small jars.
3. Label the jars as follows:
Jar 1: salt water
Jar 2: warm water
Jar 3: sucrose solution
Jar 4: cold water
Jar 5: vinegar
4. Add 20 mL of the following samples to each jar.
5. Leave for 5 days in a cool dry place. Make sure to take photo every single
day for documentation.
6. Make sure to check the samples every day and record the following
results.
a. Length (in cm)
b. Width (in cm)
c. Consistency
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D. Experimental Data and Results:
BEFORE
Length Width
Sample Potato Consistency
(in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
DAY 1
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
DAY 2
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
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DAY 3
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
DAY 4
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
DAY 5
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
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AFTER 5 DAYS
Sample Length Width
Consistency
Jars (in cm) (in cm)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
E. Results and Discussion:
1. What are the characteristics of the small potatoes before adding them on the
different water samples?
2. What are the characteristics of the small potatoes after adding them on the
different water samples?
3. In which sample(s) do you observe change(s) in characteristics?
4. How does temperature affect osmosis in potatoes?
5. What is the significance of osmosis?
F. Conclusion/Recommendation:
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