The Effect Of Temperature On a Cell Membrane's Permeability

Aim: This experiment aims to determine what effect an increase in the surrounding temperature has on the plasma membrane of a typical plant cell structure. Hypothesis: An increase in temperature will damage and denature the plasma membrane and cause the cytoplasm and other substances contained within the membrane to leak out. Introduction: The purpose of a cell membrane is to control the transport of substances moving into and out of a cell. The membrane is …

…the use of a proper controlled water bath may be a consideration, and also a template made for cutting the beetroot pieces. Using a beetroot as the sample is not a good representation of the whole eykaryote group. Other cell membranes may have better or worse heat tolerance, some may not be affected at all, however, using a beetroot does give a good representation of the theories behind the plasma membrane and how it behaves.