Water

• what is a polymer


  large molecules made from lots of monomers joined together
• what reaction joins two molecules together

  condensation reaction
• what happens to a water molecule in a condensation reaction


  releases a water molecule
• what reaction breaks a chemical bond

  hydrolysis
• what happens to a water molcule in a hydrolysis reaction


  used in the reaction
• what are three examples of a monomer

  amino acid, monosaccharide, nucleotide
• cohesion


  so supports collumns of water in the xylem
• transparent

  so allows light to penetratesk aquatic plants can photosynthesise
• cohesion


  so provides surface tension that supports small insects on the surface of the water
• ice floats on top of water (lower density than water)


  so lakes freeze from the top down, maintaining aquatic life beneath
• high specific heat capacity


  largw amount of energy needed to raise the temperature so buffers changes in external temperature, making an aquatic environment more hospitable
• metabolite


  so plays a role in chemical reactions, for example, hydrolysis and condensation
• solvent


  so metabolic reactions can occur OR so substances can be transported
• high latent heat of vapourisation


  lots of emergy needed to break hydrogen bonds and change from liquid to gas so provides a cooling effect through evaporation, for example, sweating