Waters Life-Supporting Properties

WATER 'S LIFE-SUPPORTING PROPERTIES

Water 's Life-Supporting Properties

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Course Name Water 's Life-Supporting Properties

Without water , the life forms we see on Earth could not possibly exist This simple combination of three atoms - one oxygen , two hydrogen - acts in complex ways that can turn a barren , dusty planet into a thriving biological community (Tanacredi Loret , 2000 . The role of water in supporting life is an essential one on Earth and probably elsewhere given the unusual properties of water compared with other potentially

br abundant compounds . Its dipolarity , high boiling point and heat of vaporization and , for ice , melting temperature its expansion on freezing and its solvent properties make it an ideal medium for life (Mottl , Glazer , Kaiser Meech , 2007

Solvent and Metabolic Properties

Water is vital both as a HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Solvent " \o "Solvent " solvent in which many of the body 's solutes dissolve and as an essential part of many HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Metabolism " \o "Metabolism metabolic processes within the body . Metabolism is the sum biochemical reactions occurring in living organisms by which energy is made available to the organism and consists of anabolism and catabolism (Bortman et al , 2003 . In anabolism , water is removed from molecules (through energy requiring enzymatic chemical reactions ) in to grow larger molecules (e .g . starches , triglycerides and proteins for storage of fuels and information . In catabolism , water is used to break bonds in to generate smaller molecules...