Cell Homeostasis Virtual Lab
Go to this website and be sure to read every page as your progress through the lab:
[Link]
%20virtual%20lab%20-%20activity/[Link]
This lab will investigate what happens to a cell placed in different environments. To answer this
question, you will be working through a virtual lab using different concentrations of dissolved sugar in a
beaker and dialysis tubing.
The fluid in the beaker represents what? _______________________________________
The fluid in the dialysis tubing represents what? _______________________________________
Begin the virtual lab. Follow the prompts; as you work through the process, answer the questions
Beaker A consists of what? __________________________________________________________
This beaker will serve as the _____________________ for the experiment.
Fill in the data table with the percentage sugar solution you just made in this beaker
Beaker B consists of how much water and how much sugar? ______________ g sugar,
______________ mL H 2 O
Fill in the data table with the percentage sugar solution you just made in this beaker
Beaker C consists of how much water and how much sugar? ______________ g sugar,
______________ mL H 2 O
Fill in the data table with the percentage sugar solution you just made in this beaker
Beaker D consists of how much water and how much sugar? ______________ g sugar,
______________ mL H 2 O
Fill in the data table with the percentage sugar solution you just made in this beaker
Beaker E consists of how much water and how much sugar? ______________ g sugar,
______________ mL H 2 O
Fill in the data table with the percentage sugar solution you just made in this beaker
Draw and color a sketch of the beakers below. Below, label them A-E and write their % solution.
The prefilled dialysis tubes will now represent cells.
Fill in the data table with the percentage of sugar solution placed in them.
Now take the mass of each dialysis tube and place it in its respective beaker. As you take each mass,
record on the data table.
The dialysis tubes will remain in each beaker for how long? ___________________________
Now you are going to take the dialysis tubes out of each beaker and take a final mass.
Record this on the data table; then calculate the differences in the initial/final mass of each tube
Data Table:
A B C D E
Control Experimental Experimental Experimental Experimental
Beaker
Solution
% sugar
Dialysis Tube
Solution
% sugar
Initial Mass
Final Mass
Amt. of Mass
Gained (+) or
Lost (-)
On your beaker drawing, now draw the tubes in the beakers and show the behaviors of the water in
the different concentrations of sugar using arrows to show which direction the water is moving.
Now turn off the lab and go plug your computer back into the computer cart.
Analysis:
In the lab, what are 4 variables that remained constant throughout the lab (What stayed the same)
_______________________________________ _______________________________________
_______________________________________ _______________________________________
In the lab, which variable is the dependent variable (What you measured in the experiment)
____________________________________________________________________________________
In the lab, which variable is independent (The one thing changed by the scientist)
____________________________________________________________________________________
If the percent concentration is greater in the fluid outside a cell than inside a cell, how will the water
flow? ____________________________________
This means the solution would be __________________________________
Which tube(s) did this happen to? ___________________________________
If the percent concentration is equal both inside and outside a cell, how will the water flow? __________
This means the solution would be __________________________________
Which tube(s) did this happen to? ___________________________________
If the percent concentration is greater in the fluid inside a cell than outside a cell, how will the water
flow? ____________________________________
This means the solution would be __________________________________
Which tube(s) did this happen to? ___________________________________
Which dialysis tube(s) had little or no change in mass after the 24-hour period? ____________________
Explain why this happened. __________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
