water

• Water


  • Metabolite involved in many reactions e.g. hydrolysis
  • Universal solvent - has ability to dissolve many substances
  • Polar/charged molecules dissolve in water easily
  • Substances easily transported around body via plasma (contains lots of water)
• Water


  • Non-polar molecules (e.g. lipids) can't dissolve in water (hydrophobic)
  • High heat capacity - lots of energy required to raise temperature of water (break H bonds)
  • Water temperature remains relatively stable
  • Enzymes don't denature / no reduced enzyme activity
  • Large latent heat of vaporisation - lots of energy needed to convert water from liquid state to gaseous
  • Provides cooling effect to organisms
  • Strong cohesion - H2O molecules 'stick together' by H bonds
  • Strong adhesion - water is attracted to other substances
  • Provides surface tension - the ability of a liquid to resist an external force
• Water moving up xylem in continuous column rather than drop by drop
• Structure of water


  • Dipolar molecule - unevenly distributed charge, oxygen slightly negative, hydrogen slightly positive
  • Hydrogen bonds form between water molecules