biochemistry of water
The Wonder of Water First the biological point of view Water has importance inside cells and externally. ... Water has been called a universal solvent because of it polarity. ... Many compounds, whether ionic, polar or covalent will dissolve in it, therefore more reactions take place while in solution with water. Often in organisms substances must be in solution and water is the solvent. ... Also many organisms living in water spend most of their time underwater, yet they require oxygen to respire, and as water is such a good solvent the required oxygen gas is dissolved in the water. Water is the most abundant component in any organism, the lowest is 20% in seeds, while jellyfish are 99% (hence the transparency). ... In all cells water is used for; hydrolysis, the breakdown of a substance by water, e. ... gaseous exchange, which need to be moist as the exchange takes place in solution, therefore there is water in the lungs or in mesophyll cells (in plants). ... Blood is mostly water, and is used to transport food, hormones, waste products (ammonia and urea) and oxygen, similarly in plants; sap is used to transport food and other substances. These substances all easily dissolve in water and then can be transported, whether it is oxygen to tissues, or hormones to various organs.