water

    Cards (4)

    • 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