Membrane Transport Writeup

Introduction:
The information gathered during this lab experimentation aims to explain the transport of water
across the plasma membrane in various cells. The three cells examined below are Elodea cells, or
freshwater plant cells, erythrocytes, commonly known as red blood cells, and Xenopus oocytes,
or frog eggs. Each cell type was investigated under a microscope to observe its behavior within
three different environments: freshwater, 150mM NaCl, and 400mM NaCl. Reactions such as
shrinking or bursting would prove the permeability of each cell’s plasma membrane and their
response to hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic environments.

Results:
Elodea Cells: Microscope Image Description and Interpretation

The freshwater environment is a

hypotonic solution with a lower
NaCl concentration than the
150mM NaCl interior of the
Elodea cells. Due to this, the
Freshwater Elodea cells appear swollen as
Environment the plasma membrane expands
and presses out on the rigid cell
wall. This is an indication that
water is entering the cell to dilute
the higher solute concentration
inside.

Since the concentration of solute

in the interior of an Elodea cell is
equivalent to a 150mM NaCl
solution, the 150mM NaCl
environment is isotonic. When
exposed, the Elodea cell wall
150mM NaCl
maintained its rigid structure and
Environment
the plasma membrane was not
visibly affected. While there will
be constant water movement in
and out of the cell, there is no net
movement, hence the normal
appearance of the cells.

 The 400mM NaCl environment
is a hypertonic solution with a
higher NaCl concentration than
the 150mM NaCl interior of the
Elodea cells. Due to this, the
400mM NaCl Elodea cells’ plasma membranes
Environment shrink and separate from the
rigid cell walls that maintain
their original shapes. This is an
indication that water is leaving
the cell to dilute the higher solute
concentration outside.

Erythrocytes: Microscope Image Description and Interpretation

The freshwater environment is a

hypotonic solution with a lower
NaCl concentration than the
150mM NaCl interior of the
erythrocytes. Due to this, it was
extremely difficult to find any
erythrocyte cells with the
Freshwater
microscope as many of them
Environment
burst without a cell wall (as in
the Elodea cells) to withstand the
increase in pressure. This is an
indication that water was
entering the cell to dilute the
higher solute concentration
inside.

Since the concentration of solute

in the interior of an erythrocyte
is equivalent to a 150mM NaCl
solution, the 150mM NaCl
environment is isotonic. When
150mM NaCl exposed, the erythrocytes
Environment maintained their normal round,
biconcave structure. While there
will be constant water movement
in and out of the cell, there is no
net movement, hence the regular
appearance of the cells.


 The 400mM NaCl environment
is a hypertonic solution with a
higher NaCl concentration than
the 150mM NaCl interior of the
erythrocytes. Due to this, the
400mM NaCl erythrocytes shriveled up and
Environment appeared jagged around the
edges. This is an indication that
water was leaving the cells to
dilute the higher solute
concentration outside, causing
them to shrink.

Xenopus
Microscope Image Description and Interpretation
Oocytes:
The freshwater environment is a
hypotonic solution with a lower
NaCl concentration than the
150mM NaCl interior of the
Xenopus oocytes. However, the
size and shape of this oocyte cell
is identical to the cells in the
Freshwater
150mM and 400mM NaCl
Environment
environments, indicating that the
plasma membranes of Xenopus
oocytes are not permeable to
water. This means water is not
entering the cell in response to
the hypotonic environment it is
placed in.
Since the concentration of solute
in the interior of a Xenopus
oocyte is equivalent to a 150mM
NaCl solution, the 150mM NaCl
environment is isotonic.
However, the size and shape of
this oocyte cell is identical to the
150mM NaCl
cells in the freshwater and
Environment
400mM NaCl environments,
indicating that the plasma
membranes of Xenopus oocytes
are not permeable to water. This
means water is not entering or
leaving the cell like normal in an
isotonic solution.


 The 400mM NaCl environment
is a hypertonic solution with a
higher NaCl concentration than
the 150mM NaCl interior of the
Xenopus oocytes. However, the
size and shape of this oocyte cell
is identical to the cells in the
400mM NaCl
freshwater and 150mM NaCl
Environment
environments, indicating that the
plasma membranes of Xenopus
oocytes are not permeable to
water. This means water cannot
leave the cell in response to the
hypertonic environment it is
placed in.

Published Data: Description and Interpretation

Both the purified 28kDa protein and isolated

erythrocyte membranes are illuminated in line
with each other during immunoblotting which
has the intent to solely illuminate antibodies
specifically bound to the 28kDa protein. This
indicates that 28kDa protein is present in
erythrocyte membranes.

Panel A demonstrates that, when injected with

28kDa protein and placed in a hypotonic
solution, Xenopus oocytes rapidly increase in
volume due to water intake until bursting, while
oocytes without 28kDa protein maintain a
relatively stable volume over time. Panel B
demonstrates that Xenopus oocytes without
injected 28kDa protein maintain the same size
and shape over time in a hypotonic solution,
while oocytes with 28kDa swell until they burst.
These comparisons indicate that Xenopus
oocytes’ plasma membranes are normally
impermeable to water due to the lack of observed
change in the control oocyte in the hypotonic
solution. However, the oocyte injected with
28kDa protein swelled until bursting,
demonstrating that 28kDa protein could be
responsible for aiding osmosis as erythrocytes
that contain it also react the same in a hypotonic
solution.