The Role of Water in the Lives of Organisms

1056 Words3 Pages

Water is essential to life itself; without water life on earth would

not exist. Water is a major component of cells, typically forming

between 70% and 95% of the mass of the cell. This means that we are

made from approximately 80% water by mass and some soft bodied

creatures such as jellyfish are made of up to 96% water.

Water also provides an environment for organisms to live in, 75% of

the earth is covered in water. The properties of water are essential

for organisms to live in for a variety of reasons. The one that is

most evident is its transparency. The fact that light can travel

through it allowed marine life millions of years ago to develop a more

sophisticated detection device other than sonar, sight. This is

evident with many types of fish using visual effects to deter

predators, like schools of fish in a large mass to make it seem as

though they are bigger than they actually are. Coupled with the fact

that light can travel through water, so can heat; which is essential

for aquatic plants to photosynthesise.

Water has a molecule of oxygen contained within it; this means that

aquatic

Organisms such as dogfish are able to extract that molecule for

respiration using a series of vascularized gills. Water is kept

flowing over these gills by a specialized pumping system. And it is

due to the density of water, in comparison to air, that prevents the

gills from collapsing on top of each other. This is shown when a fish

is taken out of water.

Water is a simple molecule made up of an oxygen atom and two hydrogen

atoms, H2O. The hydrogen and oxygen atoms are bonded covalently. The

two hydrogen atoms form a bond with t...

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...ension, allowing many organisms to support themselves and

move efficiently. It provides the perfect environment for chemical

reactions to take place, due to the fact that it is a universal

solvent. Water also has a very high heat capacity, allowing organisms

to maintain the appropriate body temperature, which is vital for their

survival. Finally, water has a unique structure, involving polarity

and hydrogen bonding. By considering these examples and the many

others that have also been discussed, it is clear to see how unique

and important the chemical and physical properties of water are to all

living organisms.

Bibliography-

www.bbc.co.uk

www.google.com

www.chem1.com

www.biology-online.org

www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/scied/biology

www.clemson.edu/biolab/home.html

www.biolinks.com/

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