In life it is essential to understand which substances can permeate the cell membrane. This is important because substances that are able to permeate the cell membrane may be necessary for the cell to function. Likewise, it is important to have a semipermeable membrane in the cell because it can help protect against harmful objects that want to enter the cell. Additionally, it is critical to understand how water moves through the cell through osmosis because if the solute concentration is not regulated, net osmosis can occur outside or inside the cell, causing problems such as plasmolysis and cytolysis. . The plasma membrane of a cell can be modeled in various ways, but dialysis tubing is particularly useful for modeling which substances will diffuse or be transported out of a cell membrane. The experiment seeks to identify which substances would be permeable to the cell membrane through the use of dialysis tubing, starch, glucose, salt and various solute indicators. However, before analyzing which of the solutes (starch, glucose, and salt) are likely to pass through the membrane, it is critical to understand how the dialysis tubing compares to the cell membrane. Dialysis tubing is made from regenerated cellulose or cellophane and is used in clinical circumstances to ensure that molecules have a filtered flow and that larger solute molecules do not enter the dialysis tubing. Like a cell membrane, dialysis tubing has a semipermeable membrane, which allows small molecules to permeate through the membrane. Therefore, the dialysis tubing mimics the diffusion and osmosis processes of the cell membrane. Although the dialysis tubing has a semipermeable membrane, which mimics a cell, its structure is different. The membrane surrounding the cell is... in the center of the paper... moves freely in and out of the cell, however, because there is a higher concentration of solute inside the cell, the water it would diffuse through osmosis into the cell model, increasing the final mass of the dialysis tubing and causing cytolysis. Works Cited Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al., New York: Garland Science; 2002.Buckley, James M. "[Regents Prep Living Environment] Laboratory: Indicators." [Regents Prep Living Environment] Lab: Indicators. Np, 2003. Web. 12 November 2013.DR. Jakubowski. "TRANSPORT AND KINETICS". BC Online: 6A: Passive and Facilitated Diffusion. Np, 12 Mar 2013. Web. 05 Nov 2013.Reece, Jane B. Campbell Biology: Concepts and Connections. San Francisco, CA.: Benjamin Cummings, 2012. Print.Sense, Fred. “How does starch indicate iodine?” General Chemistry Online: Frequently Asked Questions: Redox Reactions:. Np, 2010. Web. 12 November. 2013.