Osmosis is one of the most important ways that animals and plants maintain homeostasis. Keeping internal conditions stable makes it possible for living things to survive. Our Osmosis lab provides students with a visual representation to identify and quantify cell response to changes in osmotic conditions.
Students will explore osmosis while trying to explain how a bull shark, which is native to the Gulf of Mexico, could be found swimming up the Mississippi river near St. Louis. In this lab, students will learn about osmosis and osmoregulation by looking at the protozoan Tetrahymena, a model organism often used in research on health and disease related topics. Tetrahymena’s basic cell processes can serve as a model to better understand osmosis and osmoregulation.
Grade Levels: 6-10
Standard: NGSS: HS-LS1-2 HS-LS1-3 MS-LS1-1 MS-LS1-2
Topics: Cell Biology, Physiology, Marine & Freshwater Biology, Ecology
Contributors: Anne Deken, John Burroughs School
Acknowledgements: This resource was co-developed as part of an NIH SEPA-funded science education outreach program, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Doug Chalker. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Institue of Health , and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.