Question

1 egg in pure water, 1 egg in 10% sucrose, 1 egg
in 20% sucrose, and 1 egg in 40% sucrose. The cell membrane is not permeable to
sucrose. The isotonic solution is 20% sucrose. After time has passed, he will weigh the
eggs.
For each condition, indicate the tonicity of the egg and the solution in the beaker, which
way the water will move (if at all), and whether the egg will change. Then answer the
following questions.
a) Which egg will weigh the most?
b) Which egg will weigh the least?
c) Which eggs will gain weight relative to their starting weight?
d) Which eggs will lose weight?

Answer 1

Cells in hypotonic solution gain weigh because water gets into the cell. Cells in isotonic solution remains the same. Cells in hypertonic solution lose weigh because water gets out of the cell.

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When talking about solutions, we can classify them as follows,

• Hypertonic ⇒ A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solute than the cell. This means that in the cell interior, the solute concentration is lower than in the solution itself.
• Isotonic ⇒ The solute concentration is the same inside the cell and outside.
• Hypotonic ⇒ A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solute than the cell. This means that in the cell interior, the solute concentration is higher than in the solution itself.

Water is considered to be a hypotonic solution.

When a cell is in a hypotonic solution, through osmosis, water moves toward the cell.

Osmosis is the phenomenon that occurs when two dilutions of different concentrations -in this example, the interior of the cell and the solution- are separated by a semipermeable membrane. The membrane allows the pass of water but not solute. Hence, water can move from the most diluted side to the less diluted one.

Water tends to go from the hypotonic solution to the cell interior and keeps doing so until concentrations are equal in the cell interior and exterior.

As water enters the cell, the cell begins to enlarge and becomes bigger-sized. And because cells can not limit the amount of water moving in, it keeps swelling until the membrane can not stretch anymore, and lysis occurs. It bursts.

What we need to consider is

• When a cell with semipermeable membrane is placed in a hypotonic solution, water enters the cell.
• When a cell with semipermeable membrane is placed in an isotonic solution, there is no water movement.
• When a cell with semipermeable membrane is placed in a hypertonic solution, water gets out of the cell.

In simple words, in the proposed experiment, sucrose can not cross the membrane, but water can. So,

• Pure water ⇒ Hypotonic solution ⇒ water gets into the egg ⇒ The egg's weight increases.

• 10% sucrose ⇒ Hypotonic solution ⇒ water gets into the egg ⇒ The egg's weight increases.

• 20% sucrose ⇒ Isotonic solution ⇒ water does not get into or out of the egg ⇒ The egg remains the same.

• 40% sucrose ⇒ Hypertonic solution ⇒ water gets out of the egg ⇒ The egg's weight decreases.      

a) Which egg will weigh the most?

The egg that was placed in water -hypotonic solution- is the one that will weigh the most. Water keeps unlimited entering the cell.

b) Which egg will weigh the least?

The egg that was placed in 40% sucrose solution is the one that will weigh the least. This egg loses water because it is in a hypertonic solution, so it also loses weight until concentrations are equilibrated.

c) Which eggs will gain weight relative to their starting weight?

The egg that was placed in a 10% sucrose solution, which is hypotonic. Water will enter the egg until there are equal sucrose concentrations.  

d) Which eggs will lose weight?

The egg that was placed in 40% sucrose solution. It loses water, so it loses weight.

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