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

Name the term when maximum arterial pressure is attained, At the end of the...

At the end of the ventricular contraction, maximum arterial pressure is attained and blood flow is most rapid. This is correctly termed the: a) Arterial maximum b) Diastolic

What is maturation and adaptation, Maturation and adaptation: (18 to 54 wee...

Maturation and adaptation: (18 to 54 weeks) The final stage involves maturation and adaptation of the implant-bone interface, peri-implant bone and the entire implant supportin

Explain hazard identification, Explain Hazard identification Hazard id...

Explain Hazard identification Hazard identification   is "the  identification of biological, chemical and physical agents capable of causing adverse health effects and which m

Do all molecules of dna have the same amounts, Q. Do all molecules of DNA h...

Q. Do all molecules of DNA have the same amounts of nitrogenous bases? Number and sequence of nitrogenous bases in DNA molecule are key elements in variations which are found i

What are the techniques of rastelli operations, What are the Techniques of ...

What are the Techniques of rastelli operations ? After median sternotomy pericardial patch is harvested and then cardiopulmonary bypass instituted using aortic and bicaval cann

Definition of osseointegration in microscopic biology, Q. Definition of Oss...

Q. Definition of Osseointegration in microscopic biology? From a view point of macro and microscopic biology and medicine. Osseointegration of a fixture in bone is defined as t

Particular variety of lettuce seed, How would you design, in principle, an ...

How would you design, in principle, an experiment to test the hypothesis that a particular variety of lettuce seed required daylight in order to germinate   You would requi

What are the major features of fishes, What are the major features of fishe...

What are the major features of fishes associated to the habitat where they live? Fishes are all aquatic animals and therefore they have a hydrodynamic elongated body appropriat

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