BEETROOT WP

• Beetroot cells contain a red compound called anthocyanin
• Anthocyanin


  Contained within the vacuole of the beetroot cell
• In a normal healthy beetroot cell, anthocyanin cannot escape the cell membrane
• Experiment procedure


  1. Prepare boiling tubes with water

  2. Place boiling tubes in water baths at different temperatures

  3. Prepare evenly sized beetroot tissue chips

  4. Place beetroot chips in water baths for 20 minutes

  5. Measure absorbance of liquid using colorimeter
• As temperature increases


  More anthocyanin leaks out of beetroot cells
• Reasons for temperature effect

  • Increased kinetic energy causes membrane phospholipids to move more, making membrane more fluid
  • Proteins in membrane start to denature, causing membrane to disintegrate
• Experiment could also investigate effects of pH or ethanol concentration on cell membrane permeability