Role-Playing Activity to Demonstrate Diffusion Across a Cell Membrane

Abstract

Transport of molecules across the cell plasma membrane can be a difficult concept for introductory biology students to understand and visualize. Role-playing activities provide a simple, cost-effective method for enhancing student understanding of various challenging biological concepts. This cell membrane role-playing activity was designed to teach introductory biology students how small nonpolar and polar molecules cross the cell membrane as well as the importance of diffusion, osmosis, and tonicity.