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

What do you mean by transgenic food, Q. What is transgenic food? The Tr...

Q. What is transgenic food? The Transgenic beings are animals, microorganisms and plants that contain recombinant DNA that is genes from other microorganisms, plants or animals

Macro µ nutrients, Tabulate macro & micro nutrients on the basis of -...

Tabulate macro & micro nutrients on the basis of -elements, source, synthesis site, symptoms

Physical concepts of plant water relation - diffusion, Physical Concepts of...

Physical Concepts of Plant Water Relation - Diffusion Diffusion is a spontaneous process that leads to net movement of a substance from a region of higher concentration to a r

Define affluence availability of food as factor for obesity, Define Affluen...

Define Affluence and abundant availability of food as factor for obesity? With increasing affluence, increase in purchasing power and abundance of food, people tend to eat more

Detection of pulmonary hypertension, Pressure calculation made using the Be...

Pressure calculation made using the Bernoulli equation may be used  in conjunction with pressure measurements made by other modalities to determine various intracardiac pressure.

Describe surgical closure of patent arteriosus technique, Describe Surgical...

Describe Surgical Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus technique? The patient is positioned in right lateral position and a left posterolateral thoracotomy is done. In infants

Multicausal nature of cancer, Multicausal Nature of Cancer With sever...

Multicausal Nature of Cancer With several dividing cells in the organism and the various proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that can be changed to cause cancer. one m

What are fossils, What are fossils? The Fossils are petrified vestiges ...

What are fossils? The Fossils are petrified vestiges of beings that lived in the past conserved by chemical and geological processes and found within rocks and sedimentary stra

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