Water RG

Subdecks (2)

what is water vital to?
living organisms
what does water make up?
about 80% of a cell's contents
What is a metabolic reaction?
a chemical reaction that happens in a living organism to keep the organism alive
what is a metabolite?
a substance involved in a metabolic reaction
What are the 4 main functions of water 4 ?

it is a metabolite
solvent
temperature control
water molecules are cohesive
Explain water being a metabolite?
Water is a metabolite in loads of important metabolic reactions, including condensation and hydrolysis reactions
explain water being a solvent?
water is a solvent = some substances dissolve in it
Most metabolic reactions take place in solution (eg cytoplasm of cells) so water is essential
explain water helping with temp control?
it helps with temperature control because it has a high latent heat of vaporisation and a high specific heat capacity
explain water molecules being very cohesive?
water molecules are very cohesive (they stick together) which helps water transport in plants as well as transport in other organisms