CHEMISTRY

RELATE THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF WATER TO ITS FUNCTIONS IN LIVING

SYSTEMS

Water is essential for life due to its unique properties, which allow it to fulfill various functions
within living systems:

Universal Solvent: Water's polar nature makes it an excellent solvent, capable of dissolving a
wide range of substances, including polar and ionic compounds. In living systems, water serves
as the medium for chemical reactions, facilitating metabolic processes by dissolving nutrients,
enzymes, and waste products.

High Heat Capacity: Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and retain
large amounts of heat without significant temperature change. This property helps stabilize
temperature within living organisms, preventing rapid fluctuations that could be harmful to
cellular processes.

High Heat of Vaporization: Water requires a considerable amount of energy to change from
liquid to vapor phase, due to hydrogen bonding between water molecules. This property enables
organisms to dissipate excess heat through evaporation, such as sweating in animals and
transpiration in plants, contributing to temperature regulation.

Cohesion and Adhesion: Water molecules exhibit cohesion, sticking to each other due to
hydrogen bonding, and adhesion, clinging to other substances. These properties facilitate
capillary action in plants, aiding in the transport of water and nutrients from roots to leaves. They
also enable the movement of blood through narrow vessels in animals.

Density Anomaly: Water is denser as a liquid than as a solid, due to the arrangement of its
molecules in a crystalline lattice during freezing. This property causes ice to float, insulating
bodies of water and preventing them from freezing solid, which would be detrimental to aquatic
life.

High Surface Tension: Water molecules at the surface of a liquid experience stronger cohesive
forces than those within the bulk of the liquid, leading to high surface tension. This property
allows small organisms like insects to walk on water and facilitates the formation of droplets,
essential for processes like gas exchange in aquatic organisms and seed dispersal in plants.
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Excellent Solvent for Hydrophilic Molecules: Water readily interacts with hydrophilic (water-
loving) molecules, such as salts, sugars, and amino acids, enabling their transport within living
organisms and facilitating biochemical reactions necessary for life.

These unique properties of water make it indispensable for life, as it participates in countless
biological processes, from nutrient transport and temperature regulation to maintaining cellular
structure and facilitating chemical reactions.

CONSEQUENCES

The solvent properties of water have numerous consequences, particularly in relation to its
ability to dissolve various substances. Here are some key points regarding the consequences of
water's solvent properties:

Biological Importance: Water's ability to dissolve a wide range of substances makes it crucial for
biological processes. It serves as the medium for biochemical reactions within cells and
organisms, facilitating the transport of nutrients, gases, and waste products.

Chemical Reactions: Water's solvent properties enable many chemical reactions to occur. For
example, inorganic salts, acids, and bases dissolve in water, allowing for ionization and
subsequent reactions. This is essential for various industrial processes and laboratory
experiments.

Dissolving Minerals: Water's ability to dissolve minerals can lead to the phenomenon of hard
water. Hard water contains dissolved ions, primarily calcium and magnesium ions, which can
cause scaling in pipes and appliances, reducing their efficiency and lifespan. Temporary hardness
is caused by the presence of dissolved bicarbonate ions, which can be removed by boiling, while
permanent hardness is due to the presence of other dissolved minerals that cannot be removed by
boiling.

Leaching: Water's solvent properties can also cause leaching, which is the process of extracting
soluble materials from soil, rock, or other materials. This can lead to the depletion of essential
nutrients from soil, affecting plant growth and agricultural productivity. Additionally, leaching
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can contribute to the contamination of groundwater by carrying dissolved pollutants from the
surface into underground aquifers.

Corrosion: Water's ability to dissolve gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, can contribute to
the corrosion of metals. When dissolved oxygen reacts with metal surfaces, it forms metal
oxides, leading to the deterioration of infrastructure and machinery over time. This is a
significant concern in industries such as construction, transportation, and manufacturing.

Environmental Impact: Water's solvent properties play a significant role in shaping aquatic
ecosystems. It affects the availability of nutrients and minerals for aquatic organisms and
influences the pH levels of water bodies, which in turn affects the survival and growth of various
species. Additionally, water's ability to dissolve pollutants can contribute to water pollution,
posing risks to both aquatic life and human health.

Overall, water's solvent properties have far-reaching consequences across various domains,
ranging from biological processes to industrial applications and environmental sustainability.
Understanding these properties is essential for managing water resources effectively and
mitigating potential negative impacts on human health and the environment.