Tuber Cells Essay -- essays research papers

DETERMINATION OF THE WATER POTENTIAL OF POTATO TUBER CELLS.Method. 5 saccharose solutions with varying molarity and one control containing distilled body of water were ready and poured into test tubes. The potato discs were dried, weighed and added to the test tubes. The discs were hence weighed again after a period of 24 hours. The ploughshare change in slew was then calculated. Apparatus.&61623 Specimen tubes with stoppers x6&61623 1cm3 diameter cork borer&61623 razor blade&61623 strive papers&61623 balance&61623 distilled water&61623 sucrose solutions with varying concentrations&61623 potato thump into small discsResults. (Fig 1.0)Sucrose concentration (M)Initial trade(kg)Final mass(kg)Change in mass(%)0.100.951.2531.570.200.941.1320.210.301.031.1511.650.400.951.0510.520.500.880.86-2.270.600.930.84-9.67Control0.991.4042.41Discussion.Osmosis is the passive diffusion of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from a subjugate a concentration gradient. The w ater potential of a system is the list for water to exit the system. In this investigate the aim was to measure the leaning for water to leave the tuber cells. As the water potential of smooth water is zero the concentration of sucrose in solution impart capture an military unit on the water potential, this is called the solute potential. The greater the concentration of sucrose the to a greater extent shun the water potential, because water moves from a high to let out water potential. When the potato is put into water it contains solute molecules which draw water in providing the external solute concentration is lower. The more s... ...ent was quite limited as the phase of experimental error that could occur gives rise to scepticism over the hardness of the results. The skidting up of the potato into pieces of equal surface area and mass was extremely difficult given the equipment available. If error had occurred then this would have an effect on the amount of water m oving to and from the cells. However this may have had little influence in this case, as the potato discs were meticulously weighed and cut out. Another area of likely error was the drying out of the discs. There was a story of difficulty in deciding if the discs were dry enough, and the length of drying while each disc received. If the discs had not been dried sufficiently then the percentage change in mass recorded would have been greater than before. such(prenominal) a change would result in a more negative water potential, making the results less accurate. If given the chance to repeat this experiment I would like to use more solutions ranging from 0.30M to 0.60M to give a more accurate graph, thus giving a more accurate goal of the water potential. I would also like to determine with the same degree of accuracy the point of incipient plasmolysis.