Water Flashcards
Why do hydrogen bonds form between water molecules?
What are the 5 properties of water?
- Important metabollite
- Good solvent.
- Cohesive.
- It can buffer changes in temperature.
- High latent heat of vaporisation.
Explain why water is an important metabolite.
Many metabolic reactions involve hydrolysis, which is the removal of water and condensation reactions which release a water molecule.
Explain why water is a good solvent.
Since water is polar it can dissolve other polar molecules. This is because the slightly negative end of water will be attracted to the positive end of that molecule and the positive end of water the negative end of the molecule. The water surrounding the molecule is what makes it dissolve.
Explain why water can buffer changes in temperature and why is this important for living organisms.
The hydrogen bonds have a high specific heat capacity meaning they can absorb a lot of energy without there being sudden temperature changes. This makes water a perfect habitat for aquatic organisms.
Explain why water is cohesive and why is this important for living organisms.
Due to the presence of hydrogen bonds, the water molecules are attracted to each other and this helps the water flow. This is important for things like the transport of water in columns in the xylem. It also gives water a high surface tension which is important for organisms that live on top of water.
Explain why water has a high latent heat of vaporisation and why is this important for living organisms.
It takes a lot of energy to break all the hydrogen bonds and turn water into gas. Organisms can use the evaporation of water off the skin to cool down.
