EXPERIMENT NO.
11
Before you proceed, read carefully through the whole of Question 1 and Question 2.
Plan the use of the two hours to make sure that you finish the whole of Question 1 and Question 2.
1 When plant cells are placed into sodium chloride solution, osmosis occurs and water will enter
or leave the vacuoles. Some cells may become plasmolysed. A cell is described as being
plasmolysed when the cell surface membrane detaches from the cell wall.
You will investigate the effect of different concentrations of sodium chloride solution on onion
tissue.
You will need to:
• prepare different concentrations of sodium chloride solution using proportional dilution of
4.0% sodium chloride solution
• observe and record the effect of adding these concentrations of sodium chloride solution to
the onion tissue.
You are provided with the materials shown in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1
labelled contents hazard volume / cm3
X 2 pieces of onion none –
tissue in distilled water
S 4.0% sodium chloride none 50
solution
W distilled water none 50
It is recommended that you wear suitable eye protection.
You will need to prepare different concentrations of sodium chloride solution, S, using proportional
dilution. You will need to prepare 10 cm3 of each concentration.
(a) (i) Table 1.2 shows how to make up two of the concentrations of S you will use.
Decide which three other concentrations of S you will use.
Complete Table 1.2 for the other concentrations you will use.
Table 1.2
percentage concentration
of sodium chloride volume of S / cm3 volume of W / cm3
solution
4.0 10.0 0.0
.0
3 7 5
.
2 j
.
2 0 .
5. 0 5.0 .
1 O
.
.5
2 75 .
0.0 0.0 10.0
[2]
Carry out step 1 to step 14.
1. Prepare the concentrations of sodium chloride solution, as shown in Table 1.2, in the
beakers provided.
2. Put one clean and dry microscope slide on a paper towel.
3. Put a few drops of W onto the microscope slide.
4. Remove one piece of onion tissue from beaker X. Peel off the inner epidermis as shown
in Fig. 1.1.
Fig. 1.1
5. Cut one piece of the inner epidermis so that it will fit under a coverslip. Put any remaining
epidermis into the beaker labelled For waste.
6. Put the epidermis into W on the microscope slide, as shown in Fig. 1.2. If the epidermis is
folded, you may need to add more drops of W so that it floats and uncurls. It is important
to stop the epidermis from drying out.
piece of inner epidermis
microscope slide
W
paper towel
Fig. 1.2
7. Put a coverslip over the piece of epidermis on the microscope slide. Use a paper towel to
remove any excess W that is outside the coverslip.
8. Observe the epidermis using the low power lens of the microscope. You may need to
reduce the amount of light entering the microscope to observe the cells clearly.
You will need to observe and record the effect of adding W and the different concentrations
of sodium chloride solution on the onion tissue. You will do this by counting the number of
plasmolysed cells within a sample of cells.
(ii) Decide the total number of cells in your sample.
20
State the total number of cells in your sample ............................................................ [1]
9. Count the number of plasmolysed cells observed in your sample for W. Record your
results in (a)(iii).
10. Take the microscope slide off the microscope and remove the coverslip.
11. Use a paper towel to remove W from around the epidermis.
12. Put a few drops of the lowest concentration of sodium chloride solution you prepared
in step 1 onto the epidermis.
13. Repeat step 7 to step 11 using the lowest concentration of sodium chloride solution
instead of W.
14. Repeat step 12 to step 13 using the remaining concentrations of sodium chloride solution.
The 4.0% sodium chloride solution is used last.
(iii) Record your results in an appropriate table.
Concentration
Sodium chloride
of Number
of plasmolysed
( %) cells
4 28
3
14
L
6
1
L
O
O
[3]
(iv) Using the high power lens, select three adjacent, touching cells that show the effect of
adding 4.0% sodium chloride solution.
Make a large drawing of these three adjacent, touching cells. Use a sharp pencil for
drawing.
Use one ruled label line and label to identify a cell surface membrane of one cell.
⑭ ⑳ O
=
u
E
cell
surface
membrane
25
[4]
(v) Use your knowledge of water potential to explain the appearance of the inner epidermal
cells in 4.0% sodium chloride solution.
The water potential in 4 0 %
.
sodium chloride
...........................................................................................................................................
solution lower than cells
...........................................................................................................................................
is in .
Consequently, water lost
from cells
through
...........................................................................................................................................
is
them to shrink Volume
...........................................................................................................................................
causing
Osmosis ,
in .
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(vi) Suggest how you could modify the procedure to have more confidence in your results.
Count
for each
- cells solution
...........................................................................................................................................
1 more .
2-Count cells than
...........................................................................................................................................
in more one
sample each solution tested .
from
...........................................................................................................................................
count
Photograph the
the and cells
...........................................................................................................................................
-
3
image
.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
two]
lary
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
[Total: 14]
