Investigating the Effect of Temperature on the Permeability of Membranes

Investigating the Effect of Temperature on the Permeability of Membranes The permeability of membranes can be altered in several ways. From previous preliminary work I know that reagents, for example detergents and alcohol alter the arrangement of the phospholipids in the membrane allowing substances to leak out of the cell. Temperature also affects the membrane. As membranes relay on protein molecules to allow molecules to enter and leave the cell through facilitated diffusion the temperature …

…Due to afore mentioned background information and observations made of the colour of water in my pilot study I predict that as the temperature increases to 50°C and above the proteins in the membrane will be denatured and the permeability of the membrane changed. Therefore I predict that more pigment will leak into the water as the temperatures rise, therefore the less light will pass through the sample and will give a low colour transmission.