In which direction did water move through the cell membranes?

Question

the process is called osmosis and we are experimenting with a potao

Answer 1

A typical plant (and even animal) cell has many components inside, including water, such as many proteins and ions. Proteins make up the bulk of what's inside cells.

If you place any living cell into pure water, water will be absorbed into the cell through osmosis using the simple rules of osmosis. Pure water is thus considered a hypotonic solution since it flows from the solvent into the cells.

Animal cells literally explode if you put them in a hypotonic solution.

Plant cells, on the other hand, have a cell-wall that is extremely sturdy and although they expand slightly to some extent, they never explode. Typical plant cells are usually square/rectangular and when examing them under a microscope in hypotonic conditions, they will look a little bulged. Potato cells will thus look a little bulged although you won't be able to see an increase in the actual potato size as this is on a cellular level and on top of that, only the other cells of the potato are exposed to the hypotonic solution why the interior is protected/shielded.

-Kevin

Answer 2

During osmosis, water moves from an area of low solute concentration across a membrane to an area of high solute concentration. If you placed the potato in plain water, chances are the water moved into the potato. I don't know the details of your experiment though.

Answer 3

I think the membranes have many tiny holes in side it .

Answer 4

In and out?