the functions of water

FUNCTIONS OF WATER

# We all know water is vitally important. # We should drink 8 glasses of water daily (about 2l)# But what does our body actually DO with all this water?

IN SHORT, ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF OUR BODIES CONSIST OF WATER!

METABOLIC CELL PROCESSES

CYTOPLASM IS A WATERY MEDIUM THAT ALLOWS MANY CELLULAR PROCESSES TO OCCUR SUCH AS:

CELLULAR RESPIRATION IN THE MITOCHONDRION

FURTHER DIGESTION INSIDE THE LYSOSOME OF ANIMAL CELLS

CYTOPLASMIC STREAMING

OSMOSIS AND DIFFUSION

ENZYMATIC REACTIONS

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

WATER IS ONE OF THE REAGENTS (I.E. CHEMICALS) THAT MUST BE PRESENT FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO OCCUR. IN FACT, THE WATER MOLECULES BOND TO THE CARBON DIOXIDE MOLECULES TO PRODUCE THE FINAL PRODUCT WHICH IS GLUCOSE.

# DIGESTION REQUIRES WATER TO OCCUR. # IT HELPS SOFTEN THE FOOD FOR SWALLOWING AND PERISTALSIS# IT IS THE MEDIUM FOR ENZYME REACTIONS # WATER CAUSES HYDROLYSIS WHERE THE WATER MOLECULE ACTUALLY BONDS WITH THE LARGER MOLECULES AND HELPING THEM TO BREAK DOWN INTO SMALLER MOLECULES.# HELPS DISSOLVE THE FINAL PRODUCTS OF DIGESTION.

WATER HELPS FORMS PART OF HYDROSTATIC SKELETONS

WATER AS A HABITAT WATER:

• ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO GROW HUGE BY SUPPORTING THEIR BODIES

• CONTAINS DISSOLVED MINERALS AND OXYGEN THAT HELPS SUSTAIN AQUATIC ORGANISMS

• ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO MOVE EASILY

• PROVIDES A STABLE TEMPERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT AS WATER TAKES A LONG TIME TO HEAT UP OR COOL DOWN.

WATER IS A POLAR MOLECULE

WATER HAS MANY UNIQUE PROPERTIES SUCH AS: IT IS LIGHTER AS ICE THAN IT IS AS WATER!

This allows organisms to survive under water at the poles as well as in ponds that are iced over in winter!

THESE MOLECULES ARE HELD TOGETHER BY WEAK INTERMOLECULAR FORCES AND LIKE TO STICK TO EACH OTHER. THIS IS

CALLED COHESION.

WATER ALSO HAS ADHESIVE (STICKING TO OTHER OBJECTS) FORCES WHICH ALLOWS

CAPILLARITY TO OCCUR.

Capillarity is when these forces of cohesion and adhesion allow liquids to move up capillary tubes.

CAPILLARITY ASSISTS WATER IN MOVING UP

PLANTS.

Extra large xylem in a Maple tree, Canada.

2/3 OF BLOOD IS MADE OF WATER AND TRANSPORTS ALL THE

ESSENTIAL SUBSTANCES AROUND THE BODY E.G. FOOD, GASES,

HORMONES, HEAT ETC.

WATER ALSO HAS A HIGH VISCOSITY SO THAT SMALL CREATURES MAY WALK ON IT.

• BOATMAN

SO…LETS DRINK THAT WATER!

AND SEEING AS THOUGH CLEAN FRESH WATER IS BECOMING A SCARCE RESOURCE,

LETS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• GOOGLES IMAGES

• CONTENT FROM ANY STANDARD BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK

• BY JEAN REAH, ST CONRADS COLLEGE, RSA