Water's Most Important Biochemical Role: The Solvent

2.
Water has strong intermolecular forces

Hydrogen bonds in oxygen- and nitrogen-containing molecules are very important in
biochemistry because they influence reactions between such molecules and the structures of
these biological molecules. The interaction between water and other molecules in which there
may be an opportunity for hydrogen bonding explains such properties as solubility in water and
reactions that occur with water as a solvent. The term hydrogen bond doesn’t refer to an actual
bond to a hydrogen atom, but to an overall interaction.
One environmentally important consequence of hydrogen bonding is that, upon freezing,
water molecules are held in a solid form that’s less dense than the liquid form. The hydrogen
bonds lock the water molecules into a crystalline lattice that contains large holes, which
decreases the density of the ice. The less-dense ice — whether in the form of an ice cube or an
iceberg — floats on liquid water. In nearly all other cases where a solid interacts with water, the
reverse is true: The solid sinks in the liquid. So, why is the buoyancy of ice important? Ask ice
fishermen! The layer of ice that forms on the surface of cold bodies of water insulates the liquid
from the cold air, protecting the organisms still living under the ice.
3. Water has a high specific heat

Specific heat is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a gram of
water 1° Celsius. A high specific heat means it isn’t easy to change the temperature of water.
Water also has a high heat of vaporization. Humans can rid their bodies of a great deal of heat
when their sweat evaporates from their skin, making sweat a very effective cooling method.
As a result of water’s high specific heat and heat of vaporization, lakes and oceans can
absorb and release a large amount of heat without a dramatic change in temperature. This give
and take helps moderate the earth’s temperature and makes it easier for an organism to
control its body temperature. Warm-blooded animals can maintain a constant temperature,
and cold-blooded animals — including lawyers and some chemistry teachers — can absorb
enough heat during the day to last them through the night.
Water’s most important biochemical role: The solvent

The polar nature of water means that it attracts (soaks up) other polar materials. Water is
often called the universal solvent because it dissolves so many types of substances. Many ionic
substances dissolve in water, because the negative ends of the water molecules attracts the
cations (positively charged ions) from the ionic compound (compound resulting from the
reaction of a metal with a non-metal) and the positive ends attract the anions (negatively
charged ions).
Covalently bonded (resulting from the reactions between non-metals) polar substances,
such as alcohols and sugars, also are soluble in water because of the dipole-dipole (or
hydrogen-bonding) interactions. However, covalently bonded nonpolar substances, such as fats
3
and oils are not soluble in water. Polar molecules, because of their ability to interact with water
molecules, are classified as hydrophilic (water-loving). Nonpolar molecules, which don’t
appreciably interact with (dissolve in) water, are classified as hydrophobic (water-hating). Some
molecules are amphipathic because they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.
The alternate portion of the figure is a symbolic way of representing the molecule. The
round “head” is the hydrophilic portion, and the long “tail” is the hydrophobic portion. Certain
amphipathic molecules, such as soap molecules, can form micelles, or very tiny droplets that
surround insoluble materials. This characteristic is the basis of the cleaning power of soaps and
detergents. The hydrophobic portion of the molecule (a long hydrocarbon chain) dissolves in a
nonpolar substance, such as normally insoluble grease and oil, leaving the hydrophilic portion
(commonly an ionic end) out in the water. Soap or detergent breaks up the grease or oil and
keeps it in solution so it can go down the drain. A micelle behaves as a large polar molecule.
The structure of a micelle is closely related to the structure of cell membranes.

Water's Most Important Biochemical Role: The Solvent

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2.

Water has strong intermolecular forces

3. Water has a high specific heat

Water’s most important biochemical role: The solvent

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