Biochemistry Water

1. Define the terms, solvent, solute, insoluble, dipolar, cohesion.
Solvent- the liquid in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution.
Solute- the minor component in a solution, dissolved in the solvent.
Insoluble- refers to substances which cannot be dissolved in liquid.
Dipolar- a molecule having separated charges of equal and opposite sign.
Cohesion- refers to the act of molecules of the same substance sticking together.
2. Explain why hydrogen bonds form between water molecules.

Water molecules are polar, with partial positive charges on the hydrogens and partial
negative charges on the oxygen and a bent overall structure. The oxygen is more
electronegative thus it attracts more electrons. This allows for hydrogen bonding to
occur between oxygens and hydrogens of different water molecules.
3. Find the names of seven different biological molecules that dissolve in water and
seven that do not.
SOLUBLE
 Glucose
 Glycine
 Lactic acid
 Glycerol
 Aspartic acid
 Sodium chloride
 Proteins
INSOLUBLE
 Fatty acids
 Triglycerides
 Phospholipids
 Cholesterol
 Sterols
 Fat-soluble vitamins
 Glycolipids
4. Explain the importance of water as a component of living cells, a transport medium,
and a coolant.
Water is a good solvent and has a high latent heat of fusion, it is present in cells of the
body which stays as liquid, so cell membranes are not damaged by ice crystals. Water
is also the solvent in transport media such as the blood, plasma, lymph, phloem, and
xylem saps which allows for easy dissolving and transporting of substances.
Additionally, water has a high latent heat of vaporization which allows for the loss of
water by cooling in transpiration and sweating which is efficient as a lot of thermal
energy is needed to evaporate small quantities of water.
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of water as an environment for organisms.

Advantages
 Has a high specific heat capacity which limits the fluctuations in the
temperature of the environment of those that live in water.
 Has a high latent heat of vaporisation which allows the water in shallow
aquatic habitats to evaporate at a low rate.
 Water is denser than ice which provides buoyancy for aquatic organisms, so
they do not need highly developed skeletons. The ice floats on top of water
which also acts as an insulation to aquatic organisms.
 Water is transparent so animals are able to see their predator/prey easily and
can decide whether to attack, escape or hide. The property also allows sunlight
to penetrate the water easily allow photosynthetic organism to obtain energy.
Disadvantages
 Because water is an excellent solvent it can easily dissolve pollutants which

can kill and destroy both aquatic and terrestrial organisms as well as the
ecosystem itself.
 Because water can change states from solid (ice) to liquid (water) animals in
the arctic such as the polar bear must relocate to land by swimming or floating
on ice. Because of this the survival rate of arctic animals are low.
 Because of surface tension water is a good breeding site for disease-causing
organisms such as mosquitoes which can transmit deadly diseases such as the
Dengue.
6. Discuss why the presence of liquid water on Earth is so important for life as we know
it.
Water is vital for all living organisms. It is the source of all lifeforms with 65% of our
bodies made up of water and 70% of the earth populated with water. Water provides a
substantial habitat for various forms of marine life such as fishes, whales, and sharks.
Additionally, water plays many important roles including the removal of waste from
the body, regulation of body temperature, the ability to aid in digestion and the
transportation of dissolved substances within the blood such as hormones, vitamins,
and minerals to different cells in the body. Moreover, water is an essential raw
material of photosynthesis which ensures that trees and plants produce food so that we
animals can survive. Also, in plants water is the transport medium which travels
through the xylem vessels accompanied by various processes from the root to the
leaves. Water may be a simple inorganic substance but without it there would not be
any complex organic substances.

Biochemistry Water

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biochemistry Water

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biochemistry Water

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1. Define the terms, solvent, solute, insoluble, dipolar, cohesion.

Solvent- the liquid in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution.

Solute- the minor component in a solution, dissolved in the solvent.

Insoluble- refers to substances which cannot be dissolved in liquid.

Dipolar- a molecule having separated charges of equal and opposite sign.

2. Explain why hydrogen bonds form between water molecules.

5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of water as an environment for organisms.

 Because water is an excellent solvent it can easily dissolve pollutants which

You might also like