Cell Diffusion Exploration

On Friday in Science Lab, the 7th grade explored the concept of how cells maintain homeostasis by allowing materials in and out of the cell through the process of diffusion. In this lab the students used a suspension of cornstarch and water to represent a cell, plastic wrap to represent the cell membrane, and various concentrations of iodine solutions to represent the raw materials a cell needs to perform life processes. The variables tested were the various concentrations of the iodine and various temperatures of the cornstarch suspensions. The students hypothesized about how these variable would affect the rate of diffusion into or out of their cells.