Hemolysis of Horse Red Blood Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hemolysis of Horse Red Blood Cell - Essay Example There are factors that contribute to the ability of the solute to pass through the cell membrane. One is the permeability of the cell membrane. Cell membrane is a lipid bilayer which does not allow ions and small hydrophilic molecules to freely pass the membrane (Kimball). Thus, for the sodium chloride, sodium sulfate and D-glucose solution to hemolyze the cell, a dilute solution should be used since this would increase the water concentration in the medium causing osmosis to occur. Another factor that determine membrane permeability is lipid solubility. Generally, low solubility in lipid would mean slower rate of entry to the cell (Crawford). Hydrophilic substances will pass through the membrane slowly. As shown in the results, D-glucose, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate were not able to cause hemolysis, Polarity and molecular size also affect the rate of entry of solute. Most polar molecules are hydrophilic; they cannot easily permeate the membrane (Cell Membrane, 2). Ethanol, propano-1-ol and glycerol, although polar, are small enough to pass through the membrane (Membrane Permeability). Notice that the time of hemolysis increases with molecular size with the glycerol having the longest time. Ammonium chloride was able to hemolyze the cell compared to other salts.