Biological Molecules Water & Inorganic Ions 3.1.7&8 water and other ions

Question 1

Give a property of water

Answer 1

polar, solvent, reactive

Question 2

Why is it useful to living organisms that water is polar?

Answer 2

acts as a universal solvent

Question 3

why is it useful to living cells that water is a solvent?

Answer 3

reactions occur faster in solution

Question 4

why is it useful to living cells that water is reactive?

Answer 4

takes place in hydrolysis and condensation reactions

Question 5

name an important ion

Answer 5

hydrogen, sodium, iron, phosphate

Question 6

how do water and ions enter cells?

Answer 6

they can move down a concentration gradient
both move through channel proteins
ions can move against a concentration gradient by active transport

Question 7

3 properties of water that are important in biology

Answer 7

Is a metabolite
Is a solvent
Has a (relatively)high heat capacity
Has a (relatively)largenlatent heat of vaporisation/ evaporation
Has cohesion / hydrogen bonds between molecule