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

Illustrate the different types of drug receptor interactions, Problem 1: ...

Problem 1: Briefly describe the different types of parenteral routes of drug administration. Definition of parenteral routes of administration. Show different types of

Buffalo-pox, B u f fa l o- p o x The disease i...

B u f fa l o- p o x The disease is caused by an orthopox virus, closely related to the vaccinia virus. It is not clear whether it should be considered

Portion of double-stranded dna, Suppose that a portion of double-stranded D...

Suppose that a portion of double-stranded DNA in the middle of a large gene is being transcribed by an RNA polymerase. As the polymerase moves through the sequence of six bases sho

What is the significance of water for enzymatic activity, Q. What is the si...

Q. What is the significance of water for enzymatic activity? Enzymes, Biological catalysts, depend on water to reach their substrates and bind to them. There is no enzymatic ac

Write the meaning of metabolism, Q. Write the meaning of Metabolism? Me...

Q. Write the meaning of Metabolism? Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to gro

Define about the ascorbic acid (vitamin c), Define about the Ascorbic acid ...

Define about the Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)? Ascorbic acid was discovered as the anti-scurvy vitamin. Vitamin C (chemical names ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is the six-carbon la

Methods to overcome incompatibility, Methods to Overcome Incompatibility ...

Methods to Overcome Incompatibility It has been possible to facilitate the germination of incompatible pollen by extracting pollen wall proteins from compatible pollen and su

What thiamine defiency will result in decreased activity, A thiamine defien...

A thiamine defiency will result in decreased activity of: -G-6 phosphase -transketolase -fructokinase

Pattern genetics, Ask questiRed-green color blindness is an X-linked recess...

Ask questiRed-green color blindness is an X-linked recessive disorder. If Allison is heterozygous (a carrier), and her husband, Michael, is NOT colorblind. What is the chance that

De vega annuloplasty, De Vega Annuloplasty :  Classic De Vega annulop...

De Vega Annuloplasty :  Classic De Vega annuloplasty is done using 2'0' double armed polyester suture with pledgets on either end. It starts with one of the needles passed fr

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