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Chapter 3: Water and Life

Overview: The Molecule That Supports All of Life


Water is the biological medium on Earth
All living organisms require water more than any other substance
Most cells are surrounded by water, and cells themselves are about 7095
water
!he abundance o" water is the main reason the Earth is habitable
Concept 3.1: Polar covalent onds in water !olecules result in
h"dro#en ondin#
!he water molecule is a $$$$$$$$$$$$ !olecule# the o$$osite ends have
o$$osite charges
%olarity allows water molecules to "orm hydrogen bonds with each other
&igure '()
Concept 3.%: &our e!er#ent properties of water contriute to 'arth(s
suitailit" for life
&our o" water*s $ro$erties that "acilitate an environment "or li"e are
o +ohesive behavior
o Ability to moderate tem$erature
o E,$ansion u$on "ree-ing
o .ersatility as a solvent
Cohesion of Water Molecules
+ollectively, hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together, a $henomenon
called $$$$$$$$$$$$
+ohesion hel$s the trans$ort o" water against gravity in $lants
$$$$$$$$$$$$ is an attraction between di""erent substances, "or e,am$le,
between water and $lant cell walls
&igure '('
$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ is a measure o" how hard it is to brea/ the
sur"ace o" a liquid
0ur"ace tension is related to cohesion
&igure '(1
Moderation of Te!perature " Water
Water absorbs heat "rom warmer air and releases stored heat to cooler air
Water can absorb or release a large amount o" heat with only a slight change
in its own tem$erature
Heat and Temperature
$$$$$$$$$$$$ ener#" is the energy o" motion
$$$$$$$$$$$$ is a measure o" the total amount o" /inetic energy due to
molecular motion
$$$$$$$$$$$$ measures the intensity o" heat due to the average /inetic
energy o" molecules
!he Celsius scale is a measure o" tem$erature using +elsius degrees 23+4
A calorie )cal* is the amount o" heat required to raise the tem$erature o" 5 g
o" water by 53+
!he 6calories7 on "ood $ac/ages are actually +ilocalories )+cal*, where 5
/cal 8 5,000 cal
!he ,oule )-* is another unit o" energy where
5 9 8 0()'9 cal, or 5 cal 8 1(5:1 9
Waters High Specific Heat
!he $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ o" a substance is the amount o" heat that
must be absorbed or lost "or 5 g o" that substance to change its tem$erature
by 5;+
!he s$eci"ic heat o" water is 5 cal<g<;+
Water resists changing its tem$erature because o" its high s$eci"ic heat
Water*s high s$eci"ic heat can be traced to hydrogen bonding
o =eat is absorbed when hydrogen bonds brea/
o =eat is released when hydrogen bonds "orm
!he high s$eci"ic heat o" water minimi-es tem$erature "luctuations to within
limits that $ermit li"e
&igure '(5
Evaporative Cooling
Eva$oration is trans"ormation o" a substance "rom liquid to gas
.eat of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the heat a liquid must absorb "or
5 g to be converted to gas
As a liquid eva$orates, its remaining sur"ace cools, a $rocess called
evaporative $$$$$$$$$$$$
Eva$orative cooling o" water hel$s stabili-e tem$eratures in organisms and
bodies o" water
&loatin# of /ce on Li0uid Water
>ce "loats in liquid water because hydrogen bonds in ice are more 6ordered,7
ma/ing ice less dense
Water reaches its greatest density at 13+
>" ice san/, all bodies o" water would eventually "ree-e solid, ma/ing li"e
im$ossible on Earth
&igure '(?
Water: The Solvent of Life
A $$$$$$$$$$$$ is a liquid that is a homogeneous mi,ture o" substances
A $$$$$$$$$$$$ is the dissolving agent o" a solution
!he $$$$$$$$$$$$ is the substance that is dissolved
An $$$$$$$$$$$$ solution is one in which water is the solvent
Water is a versatile solvent due to its $olarity, which allows it to "orm
hydrogen bonds easily
When an ionic com$ound is dissolved in water, each ion is surrounded by a
s$here o" water molecules called a hydration shell
&igure '(7
Water can also dissolve com$ounds made o" nonionic $olar molecules
Even large $olar molecules such as $roteins can dissolve in water i" they
have ionic and $olar regions
&igure '(:
Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Substances
A $$$$$$$$$$$$ substance is one that has an a""inity "or water
A $$$$$$$$$$$$ substance is one that does not have an a""inity "or water
@il molecules are hydro$hobic because they have relatively non$olar bonds
Solute Concentration in Aqueous Solutions
Most biochemical reactions occur in water
+hemical reactions de$end on collisions o" molecules and there"ore on the
concentration o" solutes in an aqueous solution
Molecular !ass is the sum o" all masses o" all atoms in a molecule
Aumbers o" molecules are usually measured in moles, where 5 !ole )!ol* 8
?(0) , 50
)'
molecules
Avogadro*s number and the unit dalton were de"ined such that ?(0) , 50
)'

daltons 8 5 g
Molarit" )M* is the number o" moles o" solute $er liter o" solution
Concept 3.3: Acidic and asic conditions affect livin# or#anis!s

A hydrogen atom in a hydrogen bond between two water molecules can shi"t
"rom one to the other

!he hydrogen atom leaves its electron behind and is trans"erred as a $roton,
or h"dro#en $$$$$$$$$ 2=
B
4

!he molecule with the e,tra $roton is now a $$$$$$$$$$$$ ion 2='@
B
4,
though it is o"ten re$resented as =
B

!he molecule that lost the $roton is now a $$$$$$$$$$$$ ion 2@=

Water is in a state o" dynamic equilibrium in which water molecules dissociate


at the same rate at which they are being re"ormed
&igure '(CA0)
!hough statistically rare, the dissociation o" water molecules has a great
e""ect on organisms
+hanges in concentrations o" =
B
and @=

can drastically a""ect the chemistry


o" a cell
+oncentrations o" =
B
and @=

are equal in $ure water


Adding certain solutes, called acids and bases, modi"ies the concentrations o"
=
B
and @=


Diologists use something called the $= scale to describe whether a solution is
acidic or basic 2the o$$osite o" acidic4
Acids and 1ases
An $$$$$$$$$$$$ is any substance that increases the =
B
concentration o" a
solution
A $$$$$$$$$$$$ is any substance that reduces the =
B
concentration o" a
solution
The p. Scale
>n any aqueous solution at )53+ the $roduct o" =
B
and @=

is constant and
can be written as
!he p. o" a solution is de"ined by the negative logarithm o" =
B
concentration,
written as
Acidic solutions have $= values less than 7
Dasic solutions have $= values greater than 7
Most biological "luids have $= values in the range o" ? to :
&igure '(50
&igure '(CA05
1uffers

!he internal $= o" most living cells must remain close to $= 7

$$$$$$$$$$$$ are substances that minimi-e changes in concentrations o" =


B
and @=

in a solution

Most bu""ers consist o" an acidEbase $air that reversibly combines with =
B

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