water

why is water a polar molecule?

due to the uneven charge distribution in the molecule

—> oxygen atoms attract electrons more strongly than hydrogen atoms do

—> unequal sharing of electrons gives molecule more negative charge near oxygen atom and more positive charge near hydrogen atoms

is water a metabolite in metabolic reactions?

yes

what are some examples of metabolic reactions that water is used in?

condensation and hydrolysis reactions which are used in both the breaking and forming of bonds

how does water being a solvent have a positive effect?

it allows gases to easily diffuse as well as enzymes and waste products eg. ammonia and urea

why does water have a high specific heat capacity?

water molecules stick together with hydrogen bonds meaning that lots of energy is required to break these bonds

what does a high specific heat capacity for water help with?

minimising temp. fluctuations in living things- acts as a buffer

what does the hydrogen bonding in water mean?

it requires a lot of energy to evaporate 1 gram of water- relatively large latent heat of vaporisation

evaporation of water provides cooling effect with little water loss eg. sweating

what does strong cohesion between molecules enable?

effective transport of water in the xylem

strong cohesion supports water columns, leading to surface tension at water-air boundary being high