Week 4:.

CELL AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

Living cells are always surrounded by watery environment. This may be the fresh water or salt
water in which Unicellular organisms live, or the intercellular fluid that bathes the body cells of
higher animals.
Materials flow between the cell and it’s environment mainly by the following processes;
 Diffusion and
 Osmosis.
Now, let us see how these processes occur and how changes in the environment affect Living
cells.
DIFFUSION: This is a process by which the molecules or ions of a substance (liquids or gases)
move from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration until they are evenly
distributed. The, substances involved In diffusion could be gases, liquid or solid.
FACTORS AFFECTING OR CONTROLLING DIFFUSION
The rate or speed of diffusion is controlled by a number of factors which include:
1. State of matter: The rate of diffusion varies in the three states of matter (solid, liquid
and gaseous). The diffusion of gases are more faster than the diffusion of liquid which is
as well faster that the diffusion of solid. This is because, the molecules of gas are more
free and faster than the molecules of liquid and solid.
2. Molecular size: The nature or size of the molecules affects diffusion. In general, the
smaller the size of the molecule , the faster the rate of diffusion and verse versa.
3. Differences in concentration: The differences in the conversation of the substances in
the two regions before diffusion takes place is known as concentration gradient or
diffusion gradient. Diffusion is more rapid when the concentration gradient is large. It
slows down as the differences become less.
4. Temperature: Diffusion is actually a thermal motion of molecules and is affected by
temperature. High temperature increases the speed at which molecules move. Thus, the
higher the temperature, the faster the rate of diffusion.
EXPERIMENT TO DEMONSTRATE DIFFUSION IN STATES OF MATTER
 In liquids
Materials:Beaker, Pipette, water, Potassium permanganate crystal or solution.
Method: Fill the beaker with distilled water, use the pipette to deliver some a drop of
potassium permanganate solution gently at the bottom of the beaker and allow it to stand for
some minutes.
Observation: The purple colour of the potassium permanganate solution begins to spread out
till it is evenly distributed all over the beaker of distilled water.
Conclusion: Eventually, the colour spread out evenly throughout the water medium that the
water have the same purple colour because diffusion has taken place between the potassium
permanganate solution and the water medium.
In Gases
Materials: Bottles of Ammonia solution.
Method: Take a bottle of Ammonia solution, open it and place it on the laboratory bench. Move
some distance away from the bottle and wait for a few minutes.
Observation: The smell of the ammonia gas will sbe perceived at every corner of the laboratory.
Conclusion: The smell perceived everywhere in the laboratory shows that diffusion of ammonia
gas has taken place.
BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFUSION IN PLANTS
1. Movement of carbon dioxide through the stomata of the leaves during transpiration and
Photosynthesis.
2. Movement of oxygen into the leaves through the stomata during respiration
3. Movement of the manufactured food from the leaves to other parts of the plants.
BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFUSION IN ANIMALS
1. Gaseous exchange in cells andorganisms e.g. amoeba obtains oxygen by diffusion.
2. Exchange of nutrients and oxygen between a foetus and the mother through the
placenta.
3. Gaseous exchange in the lungs of mammals during respiration.
4. Absorption of food from the small intestine through the villi into the blood stream.
OSMOSIS
This is the movement of water or solvent molecules from a region of low concentrationsolution
to a region of high concentrated or stronger solution through a semi-permeablemembrane
(selectively permeable membrane).
CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR OSMOSIS TO TAKE PLACE .
i. Presence of a stronger solutione.g. salt solution.
ii. Presence of a weakersolution e.g. water.
iii. Presence of asemipermeable membrane
LIVING CELLS AS OSMOMETER
A living cell is usually surrounded by a medium which can be described eitheras hypertonic,
hypotonic or isotonic.
 HYPERTONIC: When the cell is surrounded by a stronger solution, water will be lost by
the cell and the cell shrinks.
 HYPOTONIC: When a cell of a living organism is surrounded by water or solution whose
concentration is lower, water passes into the cell by osmosis.
 ISOTONIC: When the solute concentration of the cell and its surrounding medium are
the same, the solution is said to be isotonic. No net movement of molecules.
Osmotic pressure Is the pressure which moves water across a membrane into a solution of a
higher concentration. Osmotic pressure draws water into the cell. The pressure which a
solution can potentially exert is called its Osmotic Potential.
EXPERIMENT ON OSMOSIS
To demonstrate osmosis using a non -living material
Materials : Two thistle funnels , beaker, sugar solution, water, cellophane paper
Method : Pour equal quantity of water into the beaker, then cover the bottom of the thistle
funnel with cellophane paper (selectively permeable membrane) Then pour sugar solution into
thistle funnel A and water into thistle funnel B (control experiment ) and mark their levels. Then
immerse the two funnels into the beaker containing water. Allow the experiment to stay for 3–
4 hour.
Observation: At the end of the experiment, the volume of sugar solution will rise in the thistle
funnel A, while the level of water in the thistle funnel B remains the same, water level in the
beaker will decrease.
Conclusion : The rise of sugar solution i n thistle funnel A and a decrease in the water level in
the beaker show that osmosis has take n place.
Fig.1. To demonstrate osmosis using a non-living tissue.

TO DEMONSTRATE OSMOSIS USING A LIVING TISSUE

Materials : Yam tuber, sugar solution, water, knife, petri -dishes.
Method : Unripe pawpaw is pilled and cut into two equal halves, sugar solution is added to A
and ordinary water to B. the two are put inside a petri dish for three to four hours. Water levels
in both are marked with pins
Observation : Water level in A increases while that of B remains the same.
Conclusion : The rise in the level of sugar solution in A shows that water has passed from the
petridish into the unripe pawpaw, hence, osmosis has taken place in A and not in B.
Fig 2: To demonstrate osmosis using a living tissue

OSMOTIC PROCESSES IN PLANT

i. Absorption of water from the soil by theroot.
ii. Movement of water in and out of guardcells of stomata.
iii. Movement of water from one cell toanother.
OSMOTIC PROCESSES IN ANIMAL
i. Reabsorption of water from glomerularfiltrate in the kidney.
ii. Absorption of water by the colon.
iii. Loss of water through sweating
Differences between Diffusion and Osmosis
S/ Diffusion Osmosis
N
1 Occurs in Occur in
gaseous liquid
 and liquid medium
medium only
2 Semi- Semi-
permeabl permeabl
e is not e is
required required
3. Occurs in It occurs
living and naturally
non-living in living
organism organism
s s
PLASMOLYSIS
Plasmolysis is outward movement of water from living cells when they are placed in a
hypertonic situation. It involves thewithdrawal of water from living cells up to the extent that it
will result in the pulling away of cytoplasm from the cell membrane of cell-wall (the cytoplasm
shrink) and the whole cell wall collapse).
EXPERIMENT TO DEMONSTRATE PLASMOLYSIS USING SPIROGYRA FILAMENTS
Place a piece of spirogyra filament on a glass slide containing few drops of water, covered with
cover slip. Observe the set up under microscope (The cells are noticed to be normal turgid. Add
few drops of salt solution on the tissue. Allow it to stay for about 6 minutes.
Observe under microscope. It will be observed that the cytoplasm is drawn away from the cell
wall showing that exosmosis has occurred or the cells have been plasmolysed.
HAEMOLYSIS
Haemolysis is defined as the process by which red blood cells burst as a result of too much
water passing into it when placed in hypotonic solution.
Conditions that may cause heamolysistooccur are:
(1) Disease attack
(2) Abuse or use of drugs and food
(3) Poisoning
(4) Infection/ epidemic
(5) Industrial activities/ pollution.
Differences between Plasmolysis and Heamolysis
S/ PLASMOLYSIS HAEMOLYSIS
N
1. It occurs in It occurs in
plant cell red blood
cells
2 Plant cells Red blood
shrinks bursts
3 Occurs in It occurs in
hypertonic hypotonic
solution solution

TURGIDITY
Turgidity Is defined as the condition in which cells absorbs plenty of water up to a point where
the cell is fully stretched. Turgidity is useful to the plants because it makes plants to stand erect,
gives support to the stem, leaves, flowers and guard cells.
FLACCIDITY
Is the condition in which plants lose water to their surroundings faster than they can absorb.
When plant loses more water, it is said to be flaccid. Flaccidity may cause wilting & death.