Chemical Elements and Water

A1.1 Water
Unity and diversity—Molecules
Standard level and higher level: 2 hours
Additional higher level: 1 hour
A1.1.1—Water as the medium for life
A1.1.2—Hydrogen bonds as a consequence of the polar covalent bonds within
water molecules
A1.1.3—Cohesion of water molecules due to hydrogen bonding and
consequences for organisms
A1.1.4—Adhesion of water to materials that are polar or charged and impacts for
organisms
A1.1.5—Solvent properties of water linked to its role as a medium for
metabolism and for transport in plants and animals
A1.1.6—Physical properties of water and the consequences for animals in aquatic
habitats
A1.1.7—Extraplanetary origin of water on Earth and reasons for its retention
A1.1.8—Relationship between the search for extraterrestrial life and the
presence of water
The repartition of body water within the different
compartments as percentage of body weight.

ICV: Intracellular volume; ECV: Extracellular volume;

ISF: Interstitial fluid; IVF: Intravascular fluids.
Water is a molecule that is essential to life. It is a component
of all living things and serves many functions.
Water has many unique properties due to the nature of its
molecular composition.
Water is a polar covalent
substance, although it is formed by
covalent bonds between two
atoms of hydrogen and one oxygen
atom, there is an unequal sharing
of electrons between the two
types of atoms.
Although overall the water
molecule is electrically
neutral, there is a partial
negative charge on the
oxygen atom and a partial
positive charge on the
hydrogen atoms.

The water molecule therefore

carries an unequal
distribution of electrical
charge within it. This
arrangement is known as a
polar molecule
 Water properties
Water has a variety of unusual properties because of attractions
between polar molecules. The slightly Negative regions of one
molecule are attracted to the slightly positive regions of nearby
molecules, forming a hydrogen bond.

Each water molecule can form

hydrogen bonds with up to four
neighbors.
Covalent bond: a bond between atoms in which electrons
are shared.

Polar molecule: a molecule where there is an unequal

distribution of electrical charge: one end is slightly
positive and the other end is slightly negative.

Hydrogen bond: a weak bond caused by electrostatic

attraction between a positively charged part of one
molecule and a negatively charged part of another.
These intermolecular
forces are weak
compared to covalent
bonds, yet they are
strong enough to hold
water molecules
together and to attract
water molecules to
charged particles or to a
charged surface.
When drawing water, the element symbol is used to represent
the atoms and a solid line is used to show a covalent bond. The
superscript + and − symbols show the charge of the atom, and
the small delta (δ) shows that the charge is partial. For example,
the oxygen in water would be Oδ-.
 Like Dissolves Like
Hydrophilic - A substance that has an
affinity for water. These substances
can interact or be dissolved by water.
(ex., detergents, alcohols, salts,
cotton)

Hydrophobic - substances that repel

to water. They are non-polar and
interact well with other non-polar
solvents. An example could be
molecules are hydrophobic if they
don’t have positive or negative
charges
Cohesive properties:
Water molecules bond together
to form a “film” layer on the
surface of water called surface
tension, capable of supporting
certain plants and animals.
This property also plays a role in
capillary action (the movement of
water up and through small
diameter tubes).
Adhesive properties:
Water molecules due to their
polar nature tend to stick to
other substances. This
property along with
cohesion is responsible for
capillary action and the
formation of a meniscus in a
glass tube, water adheres to
the wall of the vessels.
Cohesion also contributes to the
transport of water and dissolved
nutrients against gravity in
plants.

Water from the roots reaches the

leaves through a network of
water-conducting cells. As water
evaporates from a leaf, hydrogen
bonds cause water molecules
leaving the veins to tug on
molecules farther down, and the
upward pull is transmitted
through the water-conducting
cells all the way to the roots
High specific heat capacity :
It requires much energy to raise the
temperature of 1gr of water one degree
Celsius.
. This results in a high heat of
vaporization. Evaporative cooling helps
to moderate temperatures in bodies of
water as well as in the bodies of land
organisms.
– This is why sweating cools you
down.
– Transpiration in plants also acts
as a coolant
High Specific Heat Capacity
For the temperature of water to increase, hydrogen
bonds must be broken and energy is needed to do
this. This is why a relatively large amount of heat is
needed to raise the temperature of water. To cool
down, water must lose an equally large amount of
energy.

Blood acts as a transport medium for heat in

living things
Since blood is made up of mostly water, it can
carry warmth to cooler locations in the body
The high heat capacity of water is the main
contributor to its excellent heat absorbing and
storing capabilities; however, it can also negatively
impact water’s ability to transfer heat effectively.

In terms of heat conductivity, water is classified as a

poor thermal conductor and acts as an insulator by
resisting the flow of heat through it.
Thermal conductivity refers to the rate at which
heat flows through a substance. The higher its
value, the faster it transfers heat.

The thermal conductivity of water at 20∘C is slightly

higher than air.
As a result, the temperature of water remains
relatively stable compared with air temperatures and
aquatic habitats are more thermally stable than
terrestrial habitats

Artic and sub-artic species,

such as the ringed seal (Pusa
hispida) are able to survive
throughout the year due
to stable sea temperatures
Density
The solid form of water is less dense than the liquid, therefore
ice floats!

This allows ice to

float atop bodies
of water, serving
as an insulator
for life below

This is important in aquatic environments because they will

always freeze from the top surface down.
Buoyancy is a force that counteracts the force of gravity.
The high density of liquid water creates high buoyancy,
allowing less dense materials to float.
“Universal” solvent
Water readily forms hydrogen bonds with charged and
polar covalent molecules.
For example, when a crystal of salt
(NaCl) is placed in water
the Na+ cations form hydrogen
bonds with partial negative oxygen
regions of water molecules.

The Cl- anions form

hydrogen bonds with the partial
positive hydrogen regions of
water molecules.
 Inorganic ions are important for the structure and
metabolism of all living organisms.
An ion is an atom (or group of atoms) that has gained or
lost one or more electrons. Many of these ions are water
soluble.

Oxygen is
Hydrogen is attracted
attracted to to the Na+
the Cl-

Water surrounding a Water surrounding a positive

negative chloride ion (Cl-). sodium ion (Na+).
Other properties: Transparency

Water is transparent and translucent

Allows light to penetrate bodies of water so
producers can photosynthesize
Extraplanetary origin of water on Earth

Water is crucial for the existence of life but when Earth

formed around 4.5 billion years ago, conditions were too
hot for water vapour to condense into liquid water

One hypothesis is that asteroids, and the meteorites that break off
from them, may be the origin of Earth's water, since many of
them contain ice and other organic materials that would have
made it possible for life to evolve
One of the oldest group of meteorites in the solar system are
called carbonaceous chondrites
• These meteorites contain hydrogen isotopes similar to
those found in seawater
It is possible that during an impact with Earth, these
meteorites would have released water vapour which would
have been trapped by Earth's gravity.

Temperatures on Earth would have been low enough to

allow this water vapour to condense to form liquid water
which would have been retained on the surface by gravity
The search for extraterrestrial life and the presence of
water
Living organisms depend on water for their existence, so this
would be a requirement for any planet to support life

For water to exist in liquid form, the temperature on a planet

should not be too hot or too cold, which in turn would
depend on the distance of that planet from its nearest star
The 'Goldilocks Zone,' or habitable zone, is the range of
distance with the right temperatures for water to remain liquid
Property Reason Consequence
Hydrogen bonds hold water Water can travel in continuous
Cohesion molecules together columns; act as a transport
medium
Polar molecules of water can Able to dissolve ions and large
interact with other polar molecules with polar side
Solvent molecules chains; acts as an excellent
transport medium and medium
for metabolic reactions
Water has a high heat capacity Organism temp changes
(lots of energy needed to break slowly; body fluid (blood)
Thermal
H bonds and change temp) transports heat throughout

Water has a high boiling point Liquid at most temps life

Thermal (lots of energy needed to break exists; medium for metabolic
H bonds) reactions
Water has a high latent heat of acts as a coolant (sweating in
Thermal vaporization as H bonds break animals and transpiration in
plants)
 Transportation of Molecules
Substance High or low relative solubility Mode of transport in an aqueous
in water environment (no special mode means
the substance dissolves directly and
easily into water)

Glucose Polar molecule/ high solubility No special mode of transport needed,

dissolves directly into plasma

Amino Acids Varying polarity but all are reasonably No special mode of transport, dissolve directly into
soluble plasma

Cholesterol Largely non-polar, very low solubility Transported by blood proteins with polar amino
acids on the outside to give water solubility, non-
polar amino acids internally bond to non polar
cholesterol
 Transportation of Molecules
Substance High or low relative solubility Mode of transport in an aqueous
in water environment (no special mode means
the substance dissolves directly and
easily into water)

Fats Non-polar fatty acid Transported by blood proteins with

components, very low polar amino acids on the outside to
solubility give water solubility, non-polar amino
acids internally bond to non polar
fatty acids
Oxygen Travels as O2, low solubility Relatively low solubility in water and
warm temps., hemoglobin is used to
bind and transport oxygen

Sodium Chloride Ionizes, high solubility No Special mode of transport needed, separates
into Na+ and Cl- ions in plasma