The Effect of Temperature on Ethylene Glycol Permeation, Lab Report Example

Results

The following results are reported from single factor ANOVA. There was significant difference in time to hemolysis when domestic sheep (Ovis aries) red blood cells were placed in 4° C, 21.3° C, or 37° 300 mOsm ethylene glycol (p>0.05, fig 1).

Figure 1. Cellular Response Over Time in 4° C, 21.3° C, or 37° C 300 mOsm Ethylene Glycol

The graph visually demonstrates the results of the experiment. What follows is a discussion of the results.

Discussion

Temperature-dependent behavior is evident in the results of this experiment. It seems that permeation of 300 mOsm Ethylene Glycol across the membrane of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) red blood cells is linear over time at mammalian body temperature (37° C). At about room temperature (21.3° C) it is more or less logarithmic, and approaching the freezing point of water (4° C) it is hyperbolic. One observation that is even clearer because of the graphic representation (fig 1) of the results above is that the length of time over which homeostasis is achieved is highly variable across the tested temperatures. The warmer the temperature the fast it occurs. The lower the temperature, the slower it happens. This stands to reason that osmotic behavior of mammalian red blood cell membranes is most efficient at mammalian body temperature (37° C), because living cells must be able to readily exchange nutrients and byproducts with blood plasma to carry out their function effectively (Waugh & Evans 123). This information is applicable to the understanding human red blood cell function (Van Belle 128).

Works Cited

Waugh, R. & Evans, E.A. “Thermoelasticity of red blood cell membrane.” Biophysical Journal 26.1 (1979): 115-131. Print.

Van Belle, H. “Uptake and deamination of adenosine by blood species differences, effect of pH, ions, temperature and metabolic inhibitors.” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – General Subjects 192.1 (1969): 124-132. Print.