An Investigation to show the levels of sugar in potato cells using the process of Osmosis.

Introduction

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the movement of water into and out of potato cells by the process known as osmosis. The cells chosen for study will be taken from potato tubers as they provide a ready supply of uniform material. 

Background Info

Osmosis occurs where solutions exist on both side of a semi permeable membrane such that the concentrations of dissolved chemicals are different. Nature likes to balance things out so liquid is drawn from the side with the lower concentration to the side with higher concentration. This is the process plants use to get water to the top of plants, up to 100 metres for the giant redwoods.

During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water are combined to from glucose sugar. This involves converting light energy into chemical energy stored in the bonds of the sugar molecules. The glucose may be stored in the photosynthesising cell’s vacuole as a sugar or converted into starch. The advantage of using the cell vacuole as a storage organ is that the concentration of solutes in the cytoplasm can be kept within levels that allow the cell to function best. Water entering a cell then has to pass through two membranes to reach the solutes in the cell vacuole.