Osmosis Investigation – Egg Lab
Introduction:
Bird and reptile eggs are the world’s largest single cells and can be used to study the activities of normal microscopic cells. They are especially useful in the study of osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane. Water will diffuse into a cell or out of a cell depending on the concentration of water on each side of the membrane. Water will always move from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration. In this lab, you will observe the effects of osmosis on cells.
These cells have been soaked in vinegar for 24 hours to remove the shell from the egg.
Material:
Alcohol corn syrup soy sauce Pepsi wild cherry Pepsi Gatorade egg white Grape/orange/strawberry soda (bleach for teacher)
Procedure Day 1:
1. Answer your Hypothesis on your data sheet.
2. Take the circumference of the egg’s width in cm and record in your data table. (To do this, use a string and then measure the length of the string.)
3. Take the circumference of the egg’s height in cm and record in your data table. (To do this, use a string and then measure the length of the string.)
4. Take the mass of the egg in grams
5. Record what solution you are using on your answer sheet.
6. Label your cup with your name, class period and what solution it is.
7. Place the egg in the cup and fill with your solution to cover the egg.
8. Place the cup on the side counter where the teacher tells you to.
Procedure Day 2:
1. Carefully remove egg without popping & rinse
2. Get your 3 measurements
3. Empty cup of solution, rinse
4. Place egg back in cup and wait for teacher
5. Once finished, throw egg away in bag and wash with soap and water and dry your cup!!!
Names: ______Per. ______
Osmosis Egg Lab
Hypothesis: What do you think will happen to your egg when it is placed in ______solution for a 24 hr. period?
(Predict what will happen to the egg for each solution):
1. ______-______
2. ______- ______
3. ______-______
4. ______-______
5. ______-______
6. ______-______
7. ______-______
8. ______-______
9. Bleach- ______
Data Table:
Circumference in cm width / Circumference in cm Height / weight in grams / Solution(what liquid are you putting your egg in?) / Appearance of egg / Drawing / Percent weight change
(ending wt / by beginning weight
x 100)
Day 1 / X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Day 2
Questions:
1. What was the purpose of placing the egg in vinegar?
2. What happened to your egg?
3. What type of solution (hyper, hypo, or iso) was your egg in?
4. Which solutions were you correct in your hypothesis?
5. Which solutions were you surprised by?
6. Which solutions were Hypotonic?
7. Which solutions were Hypertonic?
8. Which solutions were Isotonic?
9. What substance must pass through the shell and membrane in order for a chick to develop correctly?
10. What would happen to the developing chick if the egg membrane did not work correctly?
11. What does Alcohol do to your brain cells?
Graph the mass of 4 different solutions using a bar grap :(Use a different color for each solution)