Beet Membrane Lab Report 2
Abstract
The beet tissue is used to determine the effect temperature has on the cell membrane. Beet has
betacyanin which is a pigment and the amount of betacyanin that is released from the cell will
determine its permeability. This experiment was conducted by having 5 beet tissue of exact
measurements that was placed in water baths of different temperatures. The solution resulting
from the water bath was placed in new test tubes to record the absorbance using a
spectrophotometer. The results showed that the temperature damages the cellular membrane of
the beet and most of the betacyanin were released at a high temperature.
Introduction
Cellular membranes are made up of lipids and proteins whereas phospholipids are the
most abundant lipids in membranes. A phospholipid is an amphipathic molecule that contains
two distinct regions. The hydrophilic region is attracted to water whereas the hydrophobic region
is repelled from water. The cell membrane is composed of a double-layered, phospholipid
bilayer, in which proteins are embedded on the surface of the membrane. The purpose of the
phospholipid bilayer is to prevent molecules from moving in and out of a cell, and, therefore, it is
highly impermeable. Cell membranes are made up of proteins as well that move freely within the
phospholipid bilayer due to its fluidity. The cellular membrane separates the contents within the
cell from its outside environment (Urry et al., 2020).
The permeability of a cell membrane increases as the temperature increases. At low
temperatures, the phospholipids in a membrane are packed closely together leaving the
membrane rigid. At higher temperatures, the phospholipids can move around which means that
the membrane is permeable. The proteins begin to denature which also increases the cell
membrane permeability (Urry et al., 2020). A beet tissue can be used in an experimental system
