Water and the Fitness of the Environment Chapter 3 Water and the Fitness of the Environment

Importance of water Overview: The Molecule That Supports All of Life Water is the biological medium here on Earth All living organisms require water more than any other substance

Water Facts Three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is submerged in water The abundance of water is the main reason the Earth is habitable Figure 3.1

Water Facts The polarity of water molecules results in hydrogen bonding The water molecule is a polar molecule

Water’s Polarity The polarity of water molecules Allows them to form hydrogen bonds with each other Contributes to the various properties water exhibits Hydrogen bonds + H  – Figure 3.2

Properties of water Six emergent properties of water contribute to Earth’s fitness for life Cohesion/Adhesion Surface tension Temperature Moderation High specific heat Evaporative cooling Universal solvent

Cohesion Water molecules exhibit cohesion Cohesion Is the bonding of a high percentage of the molecules to neighboring water molecules Is due to hydrogen bonding Like molecules bonding to each other (water attracting other water molecules)

Water conducting cells Cohesion Cohesion Helps pull water up through the microscopic vessels of plants (capillarity) Water conducting cells 100 µm Figure 3.3

Surface Tension Surface tension Is a measure of how hard it is to break the surface of a liquid Is related to cohesion Figure 3.4

Moderation of Temperature Water moderates air temperature By absorbing heat from air that is warmer and releasing the stored heat to air that is cooler

Heat and Temperature Kinetic energy Is the energy of motion Heat Is a measure of the total amount of kinetic energy due to molecular motion Temperature Measures the intensity of heat

Water’s High Specific Heat Specific heat capacity amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.  Every substance has its own specific heat capacity, water being 1 cal/(g°C).  Comparison: the specific heat capacity of oil is about 0.5 cal/(g°C) and aluminum is about 0.2 cal/(g°C).  This means that it takes a lot more heat to raise the temperature of water compared to the amount of heat it would take to raise the temperature of oil or aluminum. 

Specific Heat Water has a high specific heat which allows it to minimize temperature fluctuations to within limits that permit life Heat is absorbed when hydrogen bonds break Heat is released when hydrogen bonds form

Evaporative Cooling Evaporation Is the transformation of a substance from a liquid to a gas Requires energy Heat of vaporization Is the quantity of heat a liquid must absorb for 1 gram of it to be converted from a liquid to a gas 100oC steam has MORE HEAT than 100oC boiling water (540 calories)

Evaporative Cooling Is due to water’s high heat of vaporization Allows water to cool a surface Sweating cools the body as heat energy from the body changes sweat into a gas As sweat evaporates from the skin, it uses up some of the adjacent body heat

Insulation of Bodies of Water by Floating Ice Solid water, or ice Is less dense than liquid water Floats in liquid water Insulates water & organisms below ice layer

Insulation of Bodies of Water by Floating Ice The hydrogen bonds in ice Are more “ordered” than in liquid water, making ice less dense (crystal lattice) Liquid water Hydrogen bonds constantly break and re-form Ice Hydrogen bonds are stable

Insulation of Bodies of Water by Floating Ice Since ice floats in water Life can exist under the frozen surfaces of lakes and polar seas

The Solvent of Life Water is a versatile solvent due to its polarity Forming aqueous solutions Called the universal solvent because so many substances dissolve in water

The different regions of the polar water molecule can interact with ionic compounds called solutes and dissolve them Negative oxygen regions of polar water molecules are attracted to sodium cations (Na+). + Cl – – Na+ Positive hydrogen regions of water molecules cling to chloride anions (Cl–). Cl– Figure 3.6

Water can also interact with polar molecules such as proteins This oxygen is attracted to a slight positive charge on the lysozyme molecule. This oxygen is attracted to a slight negative charge on the lysozyme molecule. (a) Lysozyme molecule in a nonaqueous environment (b) Lysozyme molecule (purple) in an aqueous environment such as tears or saliva (c) Ionic and polar regions on the protein’s Surface attract water molecules. + – Figure 3.7

Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Substances A hydrophobic substance Does not have an affinity for water Nonpolar lipids A hydrophilic substance Has an affinity for water Polar or ionic Carbohydrates, salts

Solute Concentration in Aqueous Solutions Since most biochemical reactions occur in water inside cells (aqueous environments) It is important to learn to calculate the concentration of solutes in an aqueous solution

Moles and Molarity A mole Amount of a substance (in grams) of which is numerically equal to its molecular weight Mole of table sugar (C6H12O6) = 342 grams Mole of sodium ion (Na+) = 23 grams What is the mole of methane (CH4)? Carbon Dioxide (CO2)? Caffeine C8H10N4O2?

Moles and Molarity Avogadro’s Number Molarity -1 molar (1M) Solution 6.02 x 1023 Constant that relates the weight of any substance to the number of molecules of that substance. EX: 34.2 grams of table sugar = 1/10 of a mole or 6.02 x 1022 Molarity -1 molar (1M) Solution Is the number of moles of solute per liter of solution

Determine the number of moles of CO2 in 454 grams. 12.01 + 2(16.00) = 44.01 Thus, one mole of CO2 weighs 44.01 grams. This relation provides a conversion factor to go from grams to moles. Using the factor 1 mol/44.01 g: moles CO2 = 454 g x 1 mol/44.01 g = 10.3 moles 10.3 moles CO2

Acids and Bases Dissociation of water molecules leads to acidic and basic conditions that affect living organisms Organisms must maintain homeostasis in the pH of their internal and external environments

Effects of Changes in pH Water can dissociate Into hydronium ions (H+ or H3O+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions Changes in the concentration of these ions Can have a great affect on pH in living organisms H Hydronium ion (H3O+) Hydroxide ion (OH–) + – Figure on p. 53 of water dissociating

Acids and Bases An acid Is any substance that increases the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution A base Is any substance that reduces the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution (more OH- ions)

The pH Scale Scale goes from 0-14 with 7 neutral The pH of a solution is determined by the relative concentration of hydrogen ions Difference of 10X in hydrogen ion concentration between any two pH values Acids have a higher number of H+ ions than a base Acids produce H+ ion in solution Bases produce OH- ions in solution

The pH scale and pH values of various aqueous solutions Increasingly Acidic [H+] > [OH–] Increasingly Basic [H+] < [OH–] Neutral [H+] = [OH–] Oven cleaner 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 pH Scale Battery acid Digestive (stomach) juice, lemon juice Vinegar, beer, wine, cola Tomato juice Black coffee Rainwater Urine Pure water Human blood Seawater Milk of magnesia Household ammonia Household bleach Figure 3.8

Buffers The internal pH of most living cells Buffers Must remain close to pH 7 Buffers Are substances that minimize changes in the concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxide ions in a solution Consist of an acid-base pair that reversibly combines with hydrogen ions Made by organisms

The Threat of Acid Precipitation Refers to rain, snow, or fog with a pH lower than pH 5.6 Is caused primarily by the mixing of different pollutants with water in the air

Can damage life in Earth’s ecosystems Acid precipitation Can damage life in Earth’s ecosystems 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 More acidic Acid rain Normal rain More basic Figure 3.9