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The Effect of Temperature on the Permeability of Beetroot Membrane

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The Effect of Temperature on the Permeability of Beetroot Membrane

Analysis

The graph shows the colorimeter readings increase as the temperature increases, they increase by the most at higher temperatures. This is shown by a smooth curve.

This means that the beetroot samples release more dye at higher temperatures. This is because higher temperatures cause the membrane structure to break down.

The membrane structure:

Membranes have two layers of molecules called phospolipids to make up their structure. Phospholipis consist of a glycerol molecule plus two molecules of fatty and a phosphate group, this looks like a head with two legs, their head is attracted to water, this means …show more content…

Intrinsic proteins occur across the whole width if the protein allowing the intake of substances into the cell. Extrinsic proteins occur only in the outer or inner phospholipid bi-layer, but not through both. These proteins are usually receptors.

Intrinsic channel proteins allow water soluble molecules to pass through it by forming a tiny gap in itself, this is large enough for the substances.

Intrinsic carrier proteins carry water-soluble molecules through the membrane, this method is called ‘Active Transport’

Extrinsic proteins recognise and bind on specific molecules, eg. hormones. Membranes can also be embedded in the inner membrane

The reason why the membrane structure breaks down at higher temperatures is because the proteins are not very stable and break down with heat, called denaturing. An enzyme denatures because the heat changes the shape of the active site o the substrate can not fit into it. Enzymes are always denaturing, but at higher temperatures this occurs more rapidly. But at higher temperatures there are more collisions between the substrate and the active site so this would increase the reactivity, so a good balance must be found. The optimum temperature is about 43ËšC, this is called the optimum temperature. As the proteins start to break down, there is no longer a

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