biological importance of water

Question 1

list the 5 biological importance’s of water

Answer 1

good solvent
metabolite
high specific high capacity
high latent heat of vaporisation
very cohesive

Question 2

explain why water having a high specific heat capacity is an advantage

Answer 2

it takes a lot of energy to break heat energy to change water’s temperature therefore it allows aquatic environments to thrive

Question 3

explain why water having a high latent heat of vaporisation is an advantage

Answer 3

a lot of energy is needed to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules which allows water to evaporate and creates a cooling effect

Question 4

explain why water being a good solvent is an advantage

Answer 4

it is a good solvent so metabolic reactions can happen quicker
it is also polar so can transport dissolved substances like mineral ions

Question 5

explain why water being reactive is an advantage

Answer 5

reactive so it takes place in hydrolysis and condensation reactions

Question 6

explain why water being very cohesive is an advantage

Answer 6

there is decreased surface tension between the air and water allowing pond skaters to skate across the water’s surface

it also supports columns of water as they move up the ylem vessels in plants