Solvent Properties

What is water?

a universal solvent

What is it able to do?

dissolve a large number of substances

What can water dissolve?

any substance that is charged/polar

What do the polar regions of the water molecules associate with?

molecular surfaces that have an opposing charge

What is sodium chloride composed of?

Na+ ions and Cl- ions

How does water make an important medium for metabolic reactions?

its ability to dissolve a variety of substances

What are solutes dissolved into aqueous solution more likely to do?

collide with enzymes and carry out necessary chemical reactions

How can water promote enzyme activity?

absorbs heat from exothermic reactions and maintain acid-base neutrality

What are substances that are involved in metabolic reactions described as being?

hydrophilic or hydrophobic

Hydrophilic

water-loving OR substances that associate and ready to dissolve in water (soluble)

What molecules are hydrophilic?

polar or charged molecules

Hydrophobic

water-hating OR substances that don't freely associate or dissolve in water (insoluble)

Transport medium

soluble substances

What does blood plasma transport in animals?

different solutes

What is included in these solutes?

amino acids, simple sugars, wastes (urea) and a small amount of gases (O2 and CO2)

What is transported via xylem vessels in plants?

mineral ions

What is transported via phloem vessels in plants?

dissolved nutrients

Transport medium in the phloem

insoluble substances

How are lipids packaged in animals?

with proteins forming water-soluble lipoproteins

How is these lipoproteins transported?

in the blood