1.7 Water

Question 1

What is the significance of water being a polar solvent to organisms?

Answer 1

water is polar molecule so many ionic substances will dissolve in it
- most chemical reactions within cells occur in water (aqueous)

Question 2

What is the significance of water having high specific heat capacity to organisms?

Answer 2

it is slow to absorb + release heat
H bonds are very strong so it takes a lot of energy to break them
- temperature of large bodies of water don’t change too much throughout the year - good habitat for living organisms

Question 3

What is the significance of water having high surface tension to organisms?

Question 4

What is the significance of water being incompressible to organisms?

Answer 4

liquid cannot be compressed - important for many hydraulic mechanisms in living organisms

Question 5

What is the significance of water having a maximum density at 4oC to organisms?

Answer 5

as water cools, its molecules move further apart
- so ice is less denser than water, forming an insulating layer
- so organisms can live in water i countries where it is cold enough to freeze water