Water

• What percentage of a cell's contents is made up of water?

  About 80%
• Why is water considered vital to living organisms?

  It has many important functions inside and outside of cells.
• What are the key functions of water in living organisms?

  • Acts as a metabolite in metabolic reactions
  • Serves as a solvent for metabolic reactions
  • Helps with temperature control
  • Provides cohesion for transport in plants and other organisms
• What role does water play in metabolic reactions?


  Water is a metabolite in many important metabolic reactions.
• What is the difference between condensation and hydrolysis reactions involving water?

  A hydrolysis reaction requires water to break a bond, while a condensation reaction releases water when a new bond is formed.
• How do amino acids form polypeptides?

  Amino acids are joined together by condensation reactions, releasing a molecule of water.
• What is the significance of water's high latent heat of vaporization?

  It allows organisms to cool down through evaporation without losing too much water.
• What does high specific heat capacity mean for water?

  It takes a lot of energy to heat water up, preventing rapid temperature changes.
• Why is water a good habitat for living organisms?

  Water maintains a stable temperature, providing a consistent environment for organisms.
• What type of substances does water dissolve well?

  Water dissolves ionic substances, such as salts.
• How does water's polarity contribute to its ability to dissolve ionic substances?

  The positive end of water molecules attracts negative ions, and the negative end attracts positive ions, surrounding and dissolving them.
• What is cohesion in the context of water molecules?

  Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules.
• How does strong cohesion benefit water transport in plants?

  Strong cohesion allows water to flow in columns, aiding in transport through the xylem.
• What is the effect of water's high surface tension?

  It allows some insects to walk on water and causes sweat to form droplets.
• What are the properties of water that are important for living organisms?

  • High latent heat of vaporization
  • High specific heat capacity
  • Good solvent for ionic substances
  • Strong cohesion between molecules
• How does an elephant use water to cool itself?

  Elephants spray water on themselves, which evaporates and cools them down.
• Why do water droplets form when an elephant sprays water from its trunk?

  Water's high surface tension causes it to form droplets when sprayed.
• What are the main roles of water in biological systems?

  • Metabolite in reactions
  • Solvent for ionic substances
  • Temperature regulation
  • Cohesion for transport