Explain the compound water, Biology

Assignment Help:

Explain the compound water?

Water :  Water is the most important compound in living cells, making up most of the bulk of living organisms. Our own bodies contain 40% - 60% water. We can survive without food longer than we can without water. Water has several unique properties that make it important to living organisms:

(1) Water is a good solvent. More substances dissolve in water than in any other liquid. Because of its polar nature, water is able to break up ionic compounds into their component ions, freeing them to react with other substances.

(2) Because it is a polar molecule, water is both cohesive and adhesive, which results in capillarity, the ability to move through small orifices or fine pores against the force of gravity and other forces.

(3) The heat of vaporization of water is high; that is, water takes up large quantities of heat when it evaporates, making it a good evaporative coolant. Both plants and animals use water evaporation from surface cells for cooling.

(4) Water has a high specific heat, meaning that it requires a large amount of heat to change its temperature. Since living organisms are made up mostly of water, they gain and lose heat slowly. Water is able to absorb heat from chemical reactions in the organisms.

(5) Water has a high thermal conductivity, or heat conduction, which helps to keep parts of the organism from overheating.

(6) Because of its cohesion, water has a high boiling point. The significance of this is that water does not readily change from a liquid to a gas. In fact, a relatively large quantity of heat is required to change water from a liquid state into gaseous steam.

 


Related Discussions:- Explain the compound water

Define about the pancreatic cancer, Define about the Pancreatic Cancer? ...

Define about the Pancreatic Cancer? This is a condition often associated with abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting and weight loss. Ealing may aggravate pain. There m

Cytoplasmic matrix, Cytoplasmic Matrix ( = cytosol  or Hyaloplasm ) Thi...

Cytoplasmic Matrix ( = cytosol  or Hyaloplasm ) This is the actual protoplasmic  part of the cytoplasm, containing dissolved proteins, electrolytes, glucose, etc. And forming

Guanotelism - excretion, Guanotelism - Excretion Normal ...

Guanotelism - Excretion Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Define the sphingolipid metabolism - vitamin k, Define the Sphingolipid Met...

Define the Sphingolipid Metabolism - Vitamin K? Sphingolipids, as you would recall from your Biochemistry Course, are a class of membrane lipids that are composed of one molecu

Explain theory of evolution through natural selection, Explain Theory of Ev...

Explain Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection The third theory of evolution through natural selection was put forward jointly by Darwin, and Wallace in 1859. This theor

Protozoa., state 5 advantages and disadvantages of protozoa

state 5 advantages and disadvantages of protozoa

Foods implicated in botulism, The types of foods involved in botulism vary ...

The types of foods involved in botulism vary according to food preservation and eating habits in different regions. Any food that is conducive to outgrowth and toxin production, th

What is the plasma membrane of the cell, Q. What is the plasma membrane of ...

Q. What is the plasma membrane of the cell? What are its major functions? The plasma membrane is the external membrane of the cell, it delimits the cell itself and a cell inter

Explain about the glycemic index (gi), Explain about the Glycemic Index (GI...

Explain about the Glycemic Index (GI)? In the previous sections, we have studied that some carbohydrates are rapidly digested and absorbed, some are digested slowly while some

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd