Cell Membranes For all 6 treatments Arrange your tubes in ascending intensity of

Question

Cell Membranes

For all 6 treatments

Arrange your tubes in ascending intensity of redcolor. Determine a scale for yourself on a scale of 0 (nocolor) to 10 (darkest red color) and quantify the colors observedin your tubes. Record your results in the space below.

Tube Number

Treatment

Color Intensity    (scale0-10)

1

70oC

2

55oC

3

40oC

4

20oC

5

4oC (refrigerator)

6

-5oC (freezer)

  

1. Which treatment caused most membrane damage as reflected bycolorintensity?                                                       

2. Which treatment caused least membrane damage as reflected bycolorintensity?                                                      

3. In what way does extreme heat damage the membrane allowingthe contents to leak out ofcells?                              

4. How does extreme cold damage the membrane allowing thecontents to leak out ofcells?                                   

       

5. Apply this knowledge to a situation that may arise in yourdaily life or in nature and briefly explain your reasoning in thespacebelow.                              

            

Tube Number

Treatment

Color Intensity    (scale0-10)

1

70oC

2

55oC

3

40oC

4

20oC

5

4oC (refrigerator)

6

-5oC (freezer)

Explanation / Answer

However, increase in temperature will compromise the integrityof the cell membrane, allowing both non-polar and polar (your redpigment) to pass through. So the general trend would be that themore damaged your cell membrane is, the more color intensity youwill see since this red pigment is leaking out of the broken cellmembrane. The cell membrane is rigid but becomes fluid-like astemperature increases. That being said, high temperature would mostlikely damage the cell and allow much of the red pigment to leak(showing a higher red color intensity). This intensity can be thenread by your spectrophotometer.
1. Since tube 1 was treated with the highest heat, itsmembrane would be the most damaged, allowing much of the redpigment to leak and show greatest color intensity.
2. This will be the opposite of question one since membranestill remains rigid and prevents red pigment from leaking through.Lowest color intensity.
3. Cell membrane is made out of phospholipids. Lipids are madeout of fatty acyl chains. As temperature increases, length anddegree of saturation of fatty acids will change. When you'reheating the membrane, you're giving it energy. This causes themolecules in the membrane to spin and rotating, water will expandand disrupt the membrane. As the lipid becomes more fluid, itbecomes more fragile. More fragility allows more contents to leakout.
4. Extreme cold can cause the cell membrane to be rupture whenit reaches a freezing point. This will result in leak ofcontent.
5. A good example of how temperature affects cell membrane ishibernation. During hibernation, low temperature will influence thecell membrane to adapt. Normally at low temperatures, neededprotein for the cell are stuck in a hardened area and unable tofunction. This would cause the death of an organism. However, theresponse of the membrane allows to cleverly bring these proteins toa fluid area of the membrane during low temperatures, stillallowing them to function and let the organism survive. Thisadaption shows the dynamics of a cell membrane and how it respondsto temperature.

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