Alba, Maxine Lally T.

Bries, Edmond

Cu, Joanna Pauline E. Cruz, Wendell Cell Transport: Diffusion in Colloidal Medium Abstract

Diffusion is an important biological process in which materials move from an area of high concentration to low concentration. One factor that affects the rate of diffusion is the size of diffusing particle. In this experiment, three different stains were tested for their speed of diffusion through a colloid. The test stains were potassium permanganate, methylene blue, and congo red while the diffusing medium was 5% gelatin solution. Potassium permanganate was found to be the fastest to diffuse through the gelatin followed methylene blue and congo red respectively.

Introduction Diffusion refers to the movement of materials across the concentration gradient. At a molecular level, diffusion results from the random motion of particles due to their kinetic energy. The goal of the diffusion is to create equilibrium in the concentration of materials in the environment. One of the uses of diffusion is in the maintenance of a cells internal environment. The cell needs to regulate its concentration of materials for chemical reactions to occur which in turn sustains life. Thus, it is important to know how materials move through a medium and what factors affect diffusion. The speed of diffusion is determined by temperature, size of the diffusing particle, and viscosity of the environment. The size of diffusing particle is inversely proportional to the speed of diffusion given similar

environmental conditions. In so doing, this experiment shall compare the diffusion speed of three different stains of different molecular weight through a colloidal medium. Methodology Three tests tubes were filled with hardened 5% gelatin solution. One mL of potassium permanganate, methylene blue, and congo red were added to three separate tubes of gelatin solution. The setup was then observed. The distance travelled by each stain through the gelatin was measured every five minutes for one and a half hour.

KMnO4 Methylene Blue

Congo Red

Results and Discussions

KMnO4 Methylene Blue Congo Red Ta

55 60 65

7.4 7.5 7.6

1.1 1.1 1.1

0.9 0.9 0.9

Table 1 shows the distance travelled by the different stains through the gelatin recorded every five minutes.

Potassium

permanganate

exhibited the fastest diffusion speed Potassium permanganate travelled the fastest through the gelatin. After five minutes, the potassium permanganate stain had already travelled significantly through the gelatin at 3.6 cm while the other two had barely travelled with only 0.7 cm and 0.6 cm for methylene blue and congo red, respectively. After an hour and five minutes, the potassium permanganate had already reached the bottom of the tube while methylene blue and congo red reached down only 1.1 cm and 0.9 cm from the top of the gelatin, respectively. same same because it has the smallest particle size among the three test stains. Potassium permanganate, methylene blue, and congo red have the following molecular weights respectively: 158 g/mol, 320 g/mol, 697 g/mol. Given that the molecules have the same amount of kinetic energy and the environmental temperature conditions and (the diffusing

medium), small molecules move faster and large molecules. This factor affecting diffusion is more pronounced in materials diffusing through a colloid, such as the gelatin used in the experiment since a

Time (min) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Distance Traveled (cm)

KMnO4 Methylene blue Congo red

semi-solid substance has considerably large particles that can act as barriers in the movement of particles. In so doing, smaller molecules have the advantage because they can slip through the gaps more easily than large molecules. Conclusion

3.6 4.5 4.8 5.3 5.6 6.0 6.4 6.45 6.7 7.0

0.7 0.9 0.9 0.95 0.95 0.95 1.0 1.05 1.1 1.1

0.6 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.85 0.85 0.9

The speed at which particles travel through a medium is inversely proportional to both atomic weight and particle size. This thus affects the rate of diffusion, with small particles, of less weight being able to diffuse faster in a given medium compared to larger particles, of greater weight given the same conditions. References Hyper Physics. n.d. Georgia State University. November 27, 2012. http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/diffus.html Reiner J. Diffusion in colloidal media. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics. 1, 143-187 (1939) PhysioWeb. n.d. University of Vermont. November 27, 2012. http://physioweb.uvm.edu/diffusion/ FrapPages1.htm