Water Flashcards
What % does water account for in the molecules in the human body
Water accounts for 99% of all the molecules in the human body
Where did life originate
Life originated in water
Why is water essential for life? (3)
It is the liquid in which all metabolic reactions take place.
It provides the basis for transport systems in organisms.
It is the environment in which many organisms live.
Water is the most common chemical in what?
Water is the most common chemical in cells
Where is water mainly found in cells?
It is manly found out the cytoplasm, which is the liquid part that surrounds the nucleus in a cell
Where is 1/3 of the bodies water in humans found? And in what form?
It is found outside the cells. Some of this is in the form of tissue fluid, which surrounds all body cells and the rest forms plasma, the liquid part of blood.
Is water a good or bad solvent?
Water is a good solvent .I.e. it is able to dissolve a wide range of molecules
Since water is a good solvent what does this allow? (2)
This allows chemical reactions to take place in water in the cytoplasm and in cell organelles.
It allows many molecules to be dissolved in water for transport in plants and animals
Water is involved in a number of biochemical reactions, name three
Photosynthesis, respiration, digestion
What happens when cells absorb large amounts of water?
They become swollen
What happens when cells lose water
They shrivel and lose their shape.
What happens if red blood cells lose shape?
They absorb and carry less oxygen.
What happens if plant cells lose shape?
The overall plant may also lose shape (a process called withering, plant loss of water)
Is water a good absorber of heat
Water is a good absorber of heat
water is a good absorber of heat, explain this
This means it is slow to heat up and slow to cool down
