Water Flashcards
What type of molecule is water?
Dipolar molecule
What charge does water have?
Unevenly distributed charge
Oxygen atom slightly negative
Hydrogen atoms slightly positive
What bonds does water have?
Hydrogen bonds
Covalent bonds
What type of reactions is water a metabolite in?
Condensation reaction
Hydrolysis reaction
Photosynthesis
What is a condensation reaction?
Reactions that join two molecules together and eliminate a molecule of water
What is a hydrolysis reaction?
Reactions that break a chemical bond between two molecules and involve the use of water
What is a solvent?
A substance that dissolves a solute
Why is it important that water is a solvent?
So metabolic reactions occur faster in solution
Why is plasma 90% water?
Because its easier to transport dissolved molecules around the body
Why is water a good solvent?
Water is dipolar so polar/charged molecules dissolve in it
Slight + hydrogen atoms attracts any - ions in solutes
Slight - oxygen atoms attracts any + ions in solutes
What is hydrophilic?
Can dissolve in water (attracted to water)
Polar molecules
What is hydrophobic?
Cannot dissolve in water (repelled by water)
Non-polar molecules
How much energy is required to raise the temp of water?
Lots
(some of heat energy is used to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules)
Why is the high specific heat capacity of water useful to organisms?
It means the temp of water stays relatively stable
→ stable environment
→ enzymes don’t denature
→internal temp stable due to organisms being mainly made of water
How much energy is required to turn water from its liquid state to its gaseous state?
Lots of energy
( energy is needed to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules to turn it into a gas)
