Most common component of living

organisms
All living systems depends mainly on
water to carry out biochemical
processes
Water constitute approximately 50% to
60% of total body weight

Lean tissues such as muscle and

solid organs have higher water
content than fat and bone
In an average young adult male ,
TBW accounts for 60%
Female 50%
Newborns 80% of their TBW comprised

Water is a polar molecule

Water has uneven
distribution/sharing of electrons
o Resulting in a partial
negative and partial

of water

positive pole
It is the polar property that allows
water to separate polar solute
molecules and explains why water

Body weight of a normal person is

subdivided as

40% dry body weight

60% constitutes the body weight
o 40% (2/3 of TBW) =
intracellular fluid
o 20% (1/3 of TBW) =
extracellular fluid
5% plasma
15% interstitial fluid
(3rd space)

WATER MOLECULE
Irregularly, slightly skewed tetrahedral

structure
Oxygen at its center
Hydrogens and free electrons occupy
the corners

can dissolve so many substances,

o Remember: Like dissolves
like
Water is a dipole

Molecule with electrical charge

distributed asymmetrically about

is structure
Unequal distribution of charges on
the molecule

Water has a high dielectric

constant

Water greatly decreases he force

of attraction between charged
and polar species

Water forms hydrogen bonds

Unshielded hydrogen nucleus

covalently bound to an electron
withdrawing oxygen, nitrogen,
and sulphur atom can interact
with an unshared electron pair on
another sulphur, oxygen and

nitrogen atom
To easily memorize this think SON
of h.bond
Water is amphoteric

Water can act as both base and

an acid

Amphipathic = has both polar and

non-polar ends

Water is an excellent nucleophile

In a solution of pure water, water has

Nucleophile is a chemical

the slight tendency to dissociate into

species that could donate

hydronium (H3o+)

electron pairs to electrophiles

Nucleophilic attack by water

and hydroxide (OH-)

(hydrolysis) generally results in

the cleavage of amide,
glycoside, or ester bonds that
holds biopolymers together

Power of hydrogen (pH)

Defines the degree of acidity and

alkalinity of a solution
Defined as the negative of
logarithm of the concentration of

Lewis acid/base

Lewis acid = e- pair

acceptor
Lewis base= e pair
donor

hydrogen ions in a solution

o pH=-Log [H+]
o Acids = high H+ = low pH