Answer to Question #76586 in General Chemistry for Daniella Castillo

Question #76586
PRF - Water is very important to living things. Select four properties of water discussed in class and explain how the property affects biological systems. Blanket statements such as "you need to drink water to live" will not be accepted.



Suggested format: Property: This property affects ______________ by doing _______________.
1
Expert's answer
2018-04-27T14:18:08-0400
1) Metabolic function of water.
The specific arrangement of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms allow a water molecule to be polarized. One side holds a net negative charge while the other side holds a net positive charge. This arrangement allows water to dissolve biodegradable things. When something is dissolved into water, it is dispersed into the volume of water through diffusion. Since water can do this, it becomes fundamental to the feeding/waste cycle of all living things on Earth.
2) Water is a chemical reagent.
Organisms need water because the chemical reactions that maintain life occur on the inside of cells which contain cytoplasm, a water-based solution. If organisms did not have water, the chemical reactions in the cell could not take place, and life functions would cease.
3) Transport function of water.
Water is used by green plants to make food during photosynthesis. Plants also depend on water to carry dissolved substances. The water in our blood carries nutrients to all cells in the body. Waste and unwanted substances are also removed from our body by water in the form of urine and sweat.
4) Thermoregulatory function.
Equalized heat distribution inside the body is due to water. With sweating, the body is cooled by evaporation of a liquid that is of great importance for the processes of physical thermoregulation.
And…
All oxygen-dependent organisms need water to aid in the respiration process; some organisms, such as fish, cannot breathe outside its presence, while other organisms need water to help break down food molecules or generate energy during the respiration process. Water is also used to help regulate metabolism and dissolve compounds going into or out of the body.

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