Water Flashcards
1
Q
Structure of water
A
A polar molecule due to the uneven distribution of charge within the molecule
- Hydrogen atoms are more positive than the oxygen - so one end is more positive than the other
- This means hydrogen bonding between many water molecules allows them to stick together
2
Q
Properties of water - Metabolite
A
- Used in metabolic reactions like hydrolysis and condensation reactions which are used in breaking and forming bonds
3
Q
Properties of water - Solvent
A
- It is a solvent, allowing gases to readily diffuse as well as enzymes and waste products
4
Q
Properties of water - Specific heat capacity
A
- Has a high SHC
- This is because H2O molecules stick together with hydrogen bonds so a lot of energy is required to break these bonds
- This helps to minimise temperature fluctuations in living things - therefore it acts as a buffer
5
Q
Properties of water - Latent heat of vapourisation
A
- Large LHOV as hydrogen bonding means it requires a lot of energy to evaporate 1 gram of water
- Evaporation of water provides a cooling effect with little water loss
6
Q
Properties of water - Cohesion and surface tension
A
- Strong cohesion between molecules enables effective transport of water in a tube like the xylem
- The strong cohesion supports columns of water, as a result of strong cohesion the surface tension at the water-air boundary is high
7
Q
Inorganic ions
A
- Inorganic ions are ions that don’t contain carbon
- Found in the cytoplasm and body fluids of organisms
- May be in concentrations that range from very high to very low
- Each type of inorganic ion has a specific role
- H+ ions are protons - the concentration of H+ in a solution determines the pH - so very important in enzyme-controlled reactions
- Fe ions are essential as they can bind to oxygen - for example, haemoglobin is made of of polypeptide chains that contain Fe ions - Haemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen around the body
