Importance of Water

583 Words3 Pages
Water is a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms 70 percent of the earth. It is a major component in cells, forming 70-95 percent of the cell’s mass and about 80 percent of the human mass. It is also a habitat for organisms. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting, dissolving, and replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. Further in the body, it -regulates the activities of fluids, tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular secretions. The properties of water are due its molecular composition which is two hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. The hydrogen bonds between water molecules cause the water molecules other properties such as: capillarity, the ability to retain heat, surface tension, and its ability to dissolve polar or ionic substances. Cohesion and adhesion are some of water's unique properties. These properties allow water to travel up plant stems; cohesion makes the water molecules stick together and adhesion makes the water cling to the stem wall therefore counteracting the downward pull of gravity. Without these properties, water would not reach all cells in a plant as a result the plants could not photosynthesize it and could not release oxygen causing almost all life forms to perish. Water's ability to retain large amounts of heat with only a slight change in its own temperature is an essential property to ensure life on Earth. The vast bodies of water retain enormous amounts of heat during the day which ensures survival for marine life. The water gradually cools during the night releasing its heat into the air making waterfront areas have warmer climates. As a result, water's high specific heat regulates temperature on land and water to limits that allow life. This is also vital to human beings as internal body temperature has to be
Open Document