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

Explain nutritional and functional role of aluminium, Minerals :- Aluminium...

Minerals :- Aluminium                Food Source       Low and variable in foods, component of some antacids and leavening agents Nutritional Functional role Possib

Malarial disease, Malarial disease Malaria is a disease known since ...

Malarial disease Malaria is a disease known since ancient times almost from 5th century B.C. The word malaria actually means bad air. It was believed that malaria is c

Explain procedure for gram staining of bacterial cultures, Explain Procedur...

Explain Procedure for Gram Staining of Bacterial Cultures? Now carry out the exercise following the steps enumerated herewith. 1. Prepare bacterial smear on a clean, non-gre

What is polyembryony, What is polyembryony? Polyembryony is the phenome...

What is polyembryony? Polyembryony is the phenomenon in which a single embryo in its initial embryonic stage separates itself forming many new individuals of the similar sex an

Define future projections in the field of public nutrition, Define Future P...

Define Future Projections in the Field of Public Nutrition? We discussed earlier that the field of public nutrition has existed for a long time, although not by this name. A he

What are analogies for a nucleolus, What are analogies for a nucleolus? ...

What are analogies for a nucleolus? If the nucleolus is the president of a factory then the nucleolus is the manager

Physical weathering-weathering of rocks, Physical Weathering Mechanical...

Physical Weathering Mechanical forces acting upon the rocks cause physical weathering. Temperature fluctuations cause expansion and contraction of rock surface resulting in the

#virus, how do viruses reproduce

how do viruses reproduce

Genetics, how to determine that the phenotype of a wild type is due to the ...

how to determine that the phenotype of a wild type is due to the action of one or two genes?

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