MOVEMENT OF

SUBSTANCES ACROSS
THE PLASMA
MEMBRANE IN
EVERYDAY LIFE

LEARNING OUTCOMES
A student is able to:
Explain what hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic solutions
are
Explain the effects of hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic
solutions on plant and animal cells
Explain plasmolysis, haemolysis and crenation
Make an inference on the concentration of cell sap in plant
tissues
Relate the movement of substances across plasma
membranes with concentration gradient
Explain the phenomenon of wilting in plants using
examples
Explain the preservation of food using examples

THE EFFECTS OF HYPOTONIC,

HYPERTONIC AND ISOTONIC SOLUTIONS
ON ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS

What are the

isotonic, hypotonic
and hypertonic
solutions ????

AN ISOTONIC SOLUTION
A solution in which the solute
concentration is equal to the
concentration of solute in the
cytoplasm.
There is no net movement of water
[ie water diffuses into and out of
the cell at equal rates] across the
plasma membrane; therefore, the
cell retains its normal shape.

AN ANIMAL AND A PLANT CELL IN

AN ISOTONIC SOLUTION

RED BLOOD CELLS

A PLANT CELL

-isotonic to 0.85% or 0.15 M

- Cell sap onion cells are

sodium chloride solution or

0.28 M glucose solution

isotonic to about 0.5 M or

17% sucrose solution

A HYPOTONIC SOLUTION
A solution in which the solute
concentration outside a cell is
lower than the concentration
of solute inside the cell.
The difference in the
concentration results in the
net movement of water from
the outside into the cell

THE EFFECT OF A HYPOTONIC SOLUTION

ON RED BLOOD CELLS

The red blood cells swell up and later burst as too much
water diffuses into the cell. The plasma membrane of the
cells is unable to withstand the high osmotic pressure
which develops within the cells. The bursting of red blood
cells is known as haemolysis

THE EFFECT OF A HYPOTONIC SOLUTION

ON A PLANT CELL

When a plant cell is immersed in a hypotonic solution,

water diffuses into the vacuole by osmosis . This causes
the vacuole to expand and push the plasma membrane
and the cytoplasm against the cell wall. The cell will not
rupture as the cell wall is rigid. The cell in this condition
is said to be turgid

THE EFFECT OF A HYPOTONIC SOLUTION

ON A PLANT CELL

The swelling of the plant cells in a hypotonic

solution creates turgor pressure within the cell
which is important in supporting and maintaining
the shape of the cells.
[ when cells in leaf / stem are turgid, leaf is held out
straight and stem stands firm & upright ]

The opening of the stomata for photosynthesis is

also due to turgidity of the guard cells [guard cells
swell].

A HYPERTONIC SOLUTION
A solution in which the solute
concentration outside a cell is
higher than the concentration of
solute inside the cell.
The difference in the
concentration results in the net
movement of water from the
inside to the outside of the cell
A cell placed in this solution will
shrink or shrivel due to the
decrease of the internal pressure

THE EFFECT OF A HYPERTONIC

SOLUTION ON RED BLOOD CELLS

The red blood cells placed in a hypertonic solution

will shrivel and the plasma membrane will crinkle
up. The cells in this condition have undergone
crenation

THE EFFECT OF A HYPERTONIC

SOLUTION ON A PLANT CELL

When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water

diffuses out of the vacuole by osmosis.
The vacuole and the cytoplasm shrink and the plasma
membrane pulls away from the cell wall. This process is
called plasmolysis which causes the plant cell to become
flaccid. Cell wall does not shrink because it is strong.
This will later result in wilting

deplasmolysis
A flaccid cell

A fully turgid cell

A flaccid plant cell [ a plasmolysed plant cell] can

become fully turgid again by immersing the cell in a
hypotonic solution(eg:water)
Water is taken up by osmosis and the flaccid cell
becomes fully turgid again.
The cell is said to have undergone deplasmolysis

THE EFFECTS AND APPLICATIONS

OF OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
OSMOREGULATION

Paramecium sp.

THE EFFECTS AND APPLICATIONS

OF OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
PROBLEM FACED BY THE
ORGANISM
Live in freshwater surrounded
by a hypotonic solution
At all time, water flows into
the cytoplasm by osmosis
The membrane may burst due
to the rising osmotic pressure

THE EFFECTS AND APPLICATIONS

OF OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
HOW DOES THE
ORGANISM
OVERCOME THE
PROBLEM?

Through
osmoregulation

THE EFFECTS AND APPLICATIONS

OF OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Water from the soil

absorbs through the
root of a plant

THE EFFECTS AND APPLICATIONS

OF OSMOSIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Soil particles

Root hair
Soil water

HOW DOES WATER ABSORPTION OCCUR?

What happens if plants are given too

much fertiliser ????

Movement of
water

The soil water becomes more concentrated and

hypertonic to the cell sap of the roots. As a result,
water diffuses out into the soil by osmosis and the
cells are plasmolysed causing wilting to occur.

Food preservation

Food preservation

Food preservation
The concepts are osmosis and
diffusion are applied
E.g, fruits, vegetables, fish and
mushroom.
Preserved to last longer by
natural preservatives such as
salt, sugar and vinegar.
Additional of preservatives
makes the surrounding solution
hypertonic, more concentrated
than the contents of the food.

 This causes water to diffuse out

of the food by osmosis and the
preservatives to enter the cell
sap.
The dehydrated condition of the
food as well as the presence of
preservatives prevent the growth
of bacteria and fungi which can
spoil the food.
Therefore, food will have a longer
shelf life.

(ii)Explanation of preservation of food as

in diagram : {6 marks}

(ii)Explanation of preservation of food as in diagram : {6 marks}

Type
Method of
Explanation
of food preservation

Fish

Salting

Salt
added
to fish

Biological principle

- Salt solution is
hypertonic to cells of
the fish.
- Water molecules
diffuse out of the cells
by osmosis
- Cells in the fish
become dehydrated
- Microorganisms also
lose water and cannot
reproduce without
water

(ii)Explanation of preservation of food as in diagram : {6 marks}

type
Method of
Explanation
of food preservation

Man
go

Pickling

Mango
soaked
in
vinegar,
high
concent
rated
salt/sug
ar
solution

Biological principle

-microorganisms
[bacteria] cannot
reproduce in salt/sugar
solutions and acidic
conditions
-mango loses water by
osmosis

Type
of
food

Method of
preservation

Fresh Pasteuriza ?
milk tion

Explanation

Biological
principle

In hypotonic solution
RED BLOOD CELL
-the concentration of solutes outside the cell is
lower than inside the cell // the concentration of
the solution outside the cell is lower than inside
the cell [cytoplasm ]
-there is a net movement of water from the outside
into the cell by osmosis
-this causes the cell to swell and then burst
-[because plasma membrane is too thin & delicate
to withstand the increasing osmotic pressure in
the cell]
- This is known as haemolysis

In hypotonic solution
PLANT CELL
-the concentration of solutes outside the cell is
lower than inside the cell // the concentration of
the solution outside the cell is lower than inside
the cell [cell sap ]
-there is a net movement of water from the outside
into the cell vacuole by osmosis
-this causes the cell vacuole to expand and swell up
-the plasma membrane pushes against the rigid cell
wall
-the cell is said to be turgid
-[ plant cell does not burst because the rigid wall is
strong enough to resist the pressure]

In hypertonic solution
RED BLOOD CELL
-the concentration of solutes outside the cell is
higher than inside the cell // the concentration of
the solution outside the cell is higher than inside
the cell [cytoplasma ]
-there is a net movement of water from the inside
to the outside of the cell by osmosis
-this causes the cell to shrink or shrivel [because
the internal pressure decreases] and the plasma
membrane crinkles up
- The red blood cells have undergone crenation

In hypertonic solution
PLANT CELL
-the concentration of solutes outside the cell is
higher than inside the cell // the concentration of
the solution outside the cell is higher than inside
the cell [cell sap ]
-there is a net movement of water from the inside
(vacuole and cytoplasm) to the outside of the cell
by osmosis
-this causes the vacuole and the cytoplasm to
shrink and the plasma membrane pulls away from
the cell wall
-the cell becomes flaccid
-the process is known plasmolysis

SPM 2003

PAPER 2 SECTION B NUMBER 1

(a) (i) Explanation of simple diffusion as in diagram:{4marks}
F1-observation
E1-state the difference in concentration
E2-state direction of movement of potassium manganate
(VII) particles
E3-type of process
F1-Distilled water turns purple
E1-At the beginning the concentration of potassium
permanganate molecules at the bottom of the beaker
is higher than the other areas
E2-The potassium permanganate molecules will move
from the bottom [area of higher concentration] to
the other areas in the beaker [area of lower
concentration]
E3-randomly by simple diffusion