How does natural decay/exposition to air affect the cell/cell membrane of a beetroot?
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
There are factors that affect the fluidity of the cell membrane, and these can affect membrane permeability making it easier for us to influence what substances can go into or out of cells.
A typical A Level membrane permeability experiment involves investigating the influence of a named variable on the membrane permeability of a vegetable such as beetroot (Beta vulgaris). Common variables to investigate are the effect of solvents or temperature because both of these factors can change the fluidity of the membrane. Beetroot is a useful subject for this experiment because of the distinctive betalains pigment that the stem tuber contains. These pigments are a useful indicator of membrane fluidity as they are typically contained within the vacuole of intact beetroot cells. An increase in membrane fluidity will cause the pigment to leak out of the cell, and the amount of pigment can be measured simply by using a colorimeter.
Don't forget to wash your cores thoroughly before the experiment, as we are interested in the amount of pigment that will leave intact cells, not those that have been damaged by coring. For more information about avoiding systematic and random errors.