An investigation to find out how temperature affects membrane permeability.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Philip Pearson AS Biology Practical Assessment

An investigation to find out how temperature affects membrane permeability.

Problem

What we will hopefully try and find out in this investigation is if temperature affects the permeability of a beetroot membrane

Hypothesis

As the temperature in which the beetroot is put in increases there will be more red dye diffusing out of the beetroot due to the denaturing of the proteins in the cell membrane as a result of the high temperatures.

Background Knowledge

The cell membrane can be represented as the fluid mosaic model as shown below. It is selectively permeable and controls what enters and exits the cell. It does this by proteins, however small lipid molecules, non-polar molecules and small water molecules can enter and exit the cell straight across the membrane through the phospholipids, due to the properties of the molecules enabling them to do so. Extrinsic and intrinsic proteins in the cell membrane help other the molecules enter or leave the cell by either facilitated diffusion or active diffusion. Different proteins are specific to certain molecules hence the cell membrane being selectively permeable.

Here is a diagram of the