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Biological Molecule Water
Biological Molecule Water
Water
AS Level Biology
Grade 11
Learning Objective
• Explain how hydrogen bonding occurs between water molecules and
relate the properties of water to its roles in living organisms (limited to
solvent action)
Question to ponder
• What is the importance of water to the life of a cell ?
Introduction to Water
Water possesses many unique qualities that are essential to maintaining viable living
conditions
• Approximately 70% of the cell’s internal environment (i.e. cytoplasm) is water-based
• It is the only substance occurring naturally in all three states (solid, liquid, gas) on the
Earth’s surface
• It is required for the anabolic construction of organic molecules (via condensation
reactions)
• Water is an important medium for metabolic reactions as it is essential enzyme function
• Water is a major component of all cells and has many important
roles within organisms.
Chemical Structure of Water
• Water consists of 2
hydrogen atoms and 1
oxygen atom, giving it the
molecular formula H2O.
The hydrogen atoms are bonded to oxygen atoms
through covalent bonds
• Water can dissolve any substance that contains charged particles (ions)
or electronegative atoms (polarity)
Solvent Properties of Water
Hydrophobic VS Hydrophilic
• Substances that freely associate and readily dissolve in water are
characterized as hydrophilic (‘water loving’)
Hydrophilic substances include all polar molecules and ions
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