Membranes and Membrane Transport (IB Topic B2.1)

  Notes Template (SL) / Notes Template (AHL)

Lab Demo! ⓟ/ⓦ: Bubble Play (All About Cell Membranes)

Grab a tray, some soap, some water, and get ready to play with bubbles. Pull up this presentation so that you play with purpose. Make connections between the similarities and differences between bubbles and cell membranes. As you work, take photos of your lab, then answer the questions on the final slide (you can do this on paper OR record a video). 

Review: Phospholipid Structures – Just for practice!

Lab Demo! ⓟ/ⓦ: Oreo Cookie Models (👫max: 2 per group)

Use Oreo cookies and candy to model the cell membrane. Follow the instructions on this presentation and answer all questions. **THIS ONE NEEDS MATERIALS — SO LET ME KNOW AT LEAST 1 DAY IN ADVANCE IF YOU WANT TO DO IT!

ⓦ: Help Confused Students — Repeated Trials (👭 max 3)

Far, far too many students are tired of hearing the terms “repeated trials” or “reliability” without really knowing what they mean or why they’re vital to science experiments. Settle their confusion once and for all – create and record a clever, engaging presentation of experimental design, clarifying: 1) What repeated trials are, 2) How they help determine reliability, and 3) why they go hand-in-hand with control variables.

ⓟ/ⓦ: Amoeba Sisters Explain Cell Transport (💁/ 👭max 2)

Watch this fantastic Amoeba Sisters video on cell transport, and either: 1) Record your own voice over in place of the sisters; or 2) Write out/Podcast a response to the video, explaining the science behind each example in the video. Make sure you cover simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, and active transport.

Virtual Simulation – Diffusion Across a Membrane (💁)

Screencast a voiceover recording of this virtual simulation and this virtual simulation, explaining how they function as models for diffusion across the cell membrane. Give examples of actual large and small molecules that might behave in a similar manner to the particles you see in the simulation, and describe the role of temperature in diffusion.

ⓓ: Moving Across Membranes  (A4: 💁 /  large poster: 👭max 2)

Put your drawing skills together to show all the different ways particles move across cell membranes. Your drawing(s) should include examples and descriptions of: simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport, endocytosis, and exocytosis. Remember to include a description of each method!

ⓦ: “Inquiry 5”: Q & A of the Cell Size (💁/ 👭max 2)

Create a list of 5 inquiry questions related to the cell surface: volume, and cell membrane transport. Remember that good inquiry questions are conceptual or open-ended…such as “why are cells small?“; NOT: “What is the name of the membrane that surrounds the cell” If working solo, write out answers to your own questions; if working in pairs, each of you should record asking your partner your 5 questions.

ⓟ/ⓦ: From Cilantro to Pheromones – How Cell Receptors Quietly Control our Senses and Behaviors (💁/ 👫max: 3)

Most of us know someone who perceives cilantro differently from ourselves – it’s either unbearably soapy or quite tasty. It’s not just cilantro – certain smell receptors can even influence our behavior… all by activating receptors on cell membranes. The mystery of cell receptors + signals has prevailed for centuries – only in 2004 did we start to make significant breakthroughs. Listen to the first 5 minutes of this podcast, then respond by discussing 1) What cell receptors are (discuss how they relate to different types of proteins in cell membranes); and 2) Describe how membrane proteins function to allow us to smell and respond to our environment.

ⓡ: The Misunderstood World of Plant Cholesterol

People often assume plants don’t have much cholesterol. They’re wrong. Read through this article, then write/record your response, explaining 1) What cholesterol is; 2) It’s function in cell membranes; and 3) Why plants need it just as much as animals do.

Lab ⓟ/ⓦ: (Advanced): How to Kill a Cell (👫max: 2)

**Note – requires quite a bit of setup + lab materials

What exactly is it about alcohol and pH that can kills cells? It all has to do with certain chemicals having the ability to rip apart cell membranes. Choose either the alcohol lab or the pH lab to see how different chemicals manage to do this.

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Extra practice:

The Cell Membrane Puzzle

Print out these pages and cut out the individual boxes. Then arrange them into an accurate concept map to show all the ins and outs of the cell membrane.  

The Cell Membrane  (💁)

Grab a paper + pen and work your way through these thought experiments. The “thought” elements here mean that you should be able to do this without any help from Google. 

Role Play Inquiry: Moving Across Cell Membranes

How can you make our classroom a model to show molecules moving in and out of a cell? For example, if our tables become the membrane, what could be used to show active transport? What could show diffusion? Make props and use people to record a classroom inspired model of a cell membrane in action.

Into the Lab — Practice with Precision