text: what characteristics of beets make them a useful experimental model for studying cellular membranes?   since the pigment within the membrane of the beets are colored red, it's good to test the stress caused on the membrane. the more damage to the membrane, the more color it gives off. put the beet in the solution that you are going to test in.  personally, i tested heat and acid.  in general, extreme heat will cause more stress on the membrane than extreme heat. this can be easily observed by the naked eye.  acetone has a greater ability to dissolve lipids than methanol, the acetone solvent will cause greater stress on the membrane