How do osmotic power plants work according to open

7. How do osmotic power plants work?

8. Research the structure that protect plant
and animal cells from damage resulting
from, osmotic pressure. Write a few
paragraphs explaining what they are, how
they work and where they are located.
According to the National Center for
Biotechnology Information; this is because
of “channels.” These forms of transport
allow for the movement of material in and
out of the cell protecting it from the building
of osmotic pressure. Osmotic pressure is the
cells ability to move water from another
source into itself, causing the pressure
(1970). Understanding that osmosis is the
movement of water through a semi-
permeable membrane we can find examples
of this in both plant and animals; one in
specific, is in plants the cell wall (1970).
The cell wall can be fortified with a
secondary inner cell wall protecting the cell
from bursting due to the osmotic pressure. In
animal cells we can look at the kidneys,
which contain aquaporin’s. As indicated by
Open Stax; aquaporin is the “channel
protein” that allows for water to pass
through a membrane at a high rate. An organ
that does this in animals is the kidneys
(2013).
Predictions/hypothesis
Experiment one: If red and blue dye is
dropped into corn syrup the molecular
weight will affect the rate of dispersion then
it can be observed that the lower molecular
weight of the red dye will allow it to
permeate and spread faster.
Experiment two: If the dialysis tube is set
into a beaker of fresh water then it will
result in the substance within it to permeate
out of the tube and into the clean water.
Experiment three: If the volume inside the
dialysis is greater or less then original then
the semipermeable membrane is allowing
the solution to come through or permeate.
Experiment four: If the samples of potato
are left to permeate in different solutions
then the result will differ from water and salt
water solutions, for example the salt water
may soften the potato.
Materials and Methods
Experiment 1:
Material
- 60 mL Corn syrup bottle
- Red and blue dye solutions (Blue weight = 793g/mole Red weight = 496g/mole)
- 9 cm petri dish
- Ruler
- Stopwatch
- Tape

Zoe Kouremenos
Procedure:
1. Use the tape to secure the one half of the petri dish over a ruler. Make sure to line up the
measurement on the ruler through the dish. Dish should be facing upward.