By Megan Hetterick
3rd Hour
Water plays a major role in the function of life. Its unique properties allow it to support many tasks in various organisms. Three examples of these characteristics is the ability to solvate many compounds, cohesion, and moderation of temperature.
First and foremost, water is a molecule composed of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms. The difference in polarity allows rapid hydrogen bonding and facilitates solvation of ionic species.
Consequently, water is utilized as the medium for nutrient transport. As a matter of fact, water makes up approximately 60% of the adult male body. For instance, water is the reason why red blood cells are able to distribute oxygen to our cells. Its primary purpose is to deliver and help in transporting nutrients throughout the body. Not only that, it also carries waste materials away from the cell.
Additionally, water also has the property of cohesion. Cohesion is the ability to hold a substance together. This property is a result of the liquid form of water. Since its hydrogen bonds are relatively weak and fragile, they form, break, and re-form at an incredible rate. This phenomenon makes water more structured than regular liquids. When looking at beakers with a dominantly water substance, one must take into consideration the meniscus. The meniscus is formed from the property adhesion, which is the stickiness of water molecules. The water sticks to the plastic walls of the beaker forming a U-shape in the