1. Chemistry of Life: Water
A follow-up lecture to Biochemistry notes
(also important to the “chemistry of life”)

2. Refresh:
Atoms - basic unit of matter
Element-made of atoms
Compound - two or more atoms chemically combined
What would water be? What is the formula?

3. Water - essential to life:
A. Properties:
Polar - uneven distribution of electrons between hydrogen and oxygen
(-) near oxygen (+) near hydrogen

4. Polarity allows water the ability to dissolve many substances
(known as the universal solvent)
Solution - a solute dissolved in a solvent

5. 2. Hydrogen bonds - gives water many special properties
cohesion: attraction of water molecules to each other
(Why spiders can walk
on a pond’s surface)

6. Adhesion - attraction between water and other substances
Allows water to move from soil up through stems and leaves

7. B. Other uses of water to living things:
-regulates body temperature
-maintains cell turgidity
-used to maintain shape of proteins
-transports nutrients
-provides environment for chemical reactions (most important for cells)

9. Parts of the body vs. % water

10. Now, time for a quiz…