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

Artificial respiration, Artificial respiration First - aid for drown...

Artificial respiration First - aid for drowning victims should aim to restore respiration as quickly as possible. First of all, nose, mouth and throat of the victim shoul

What does an osteoblast cell do, What does an osteoblast cell do? Livin...

What does an osteoblast cell do? Living cells within the bone are occupied in an unceasing process of remodeling. Osteoblasts lining the surface of bone are much like fibroblas

Define altered fat metabolism - nutrition during stress, Define Altered Fat...

Define Altered Fat Metabolism - Nutrition during Stress? Fat is the major fuel oxidized in infected patients. If nutrition support is inadequate, the peripheral fat stores are

Explain the composition of nutrient agar and nutrient broth, Explain the Co...

Explain the Composition of Nutrient Agar and Nutrient Broth? The composition and procedure for preparation of some commonly used media, which we will use in the laboratory for

Goals of computerization in nursing practice, Goals of Computerization in ...

Goals of Computerization in Nursing Practice Improved Efficiency: Computers can rapidly process, store, and retrieve information, helping the nurse clinician in nursing

Eyeball - choroid, CHOROI D - Thin, net like made up of connective ...

CHOROI D - Thin, net like made up of connective tissue, rich in blood vessels. Pigment present, red in rabbit, brown or black in man. It reduces internal reflection.

Explain process of determination of vitamin B6, Explain process of Determin...

Explain process of Determination of vitamin B 6 Colorimetric determination of indophenol dye using 2,6-dichloroquinone chloraimide as colour reagent or diethyl-p-phenylenediam

Explain genotypical and phenotypical forms, In the F2 generation of hybridi...

In the F2 generation of hybridization for a given trait conditioned by a pair of alleles T and t, according to Mendel's first law what are the genotypes of each phenotypical form?

Explain fontan operation and ross operation in heart dieases, Explain fonta...

Explain fontan operation and ross operation in heart dieases? Fontan Operation: The Fontan principle involves redirecting the whole systemic return into the lungs bypassing t

Define about the yeast - saccharomyces, Define about the Yeast - Saccharomy...

Define about the Yeast - Saccharomyces? Classification Kingdom - Mycetae Division - Amastigomycota Class - Ascomycetes Order - Endomycetales Family - Saccharomyc

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