Eei Relationship Between Surface Area and Volume and Osmosis

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Extended experimental investigation Relationships between surface area and volume and osmosis Introduction: Osmosis is the movement of water through a semi permeable membrane, separating solutions of different concentrations. The water passes from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration, until the two concentrations are equal in concentrations of water. Many cell membranes behave as semi permeable membranes, and osmosis is a vital mechanism in the transport of fluids in living organisms, for example, in the transport of water from the soil to the roots in plants. If a cell is in contact with a solution of lower water concentration than its own contents, then water leaves the cell by osmosis, through the cell membrane. Water is lost first from the cytoplasm, then the vacuole through the tonoplast. The living contents of the cell contracts and eventually pulls away from the cell wall and shrinks, this is known as Plasmolysis. Isotonic solutions are two solutions that have the same concentration of a solute. Hypertonic solution is one of two solution is one of two solutions that has a higher concentration of a solute. Hypotonic solution is one of two solutions that has a lower concentration of a solute. Why do the smaller sized jelly balls promote fermentation more efficiently than those that are larger? It has been found that the answer to this question depends not on the surface area of the balls, but the ratio of surface area to the volume enclosed. A large SA/Vol ratio is required so that there is sufficient area for diffusion to occur to allow molecules to enter the cell and provide adequate material for the cell. If cells were much larger than they are, it would take so long for nutrients to diffuse from the surface to the centre that the cell would not function properly. To function best, a cell needs a large surface area

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