MOLECULES THAT ARE USUALLY FOUND COMMONLY IN LIVING ORGANISMS

COMMON BIOLOGICAL COMPOUNDS

Two types:
Inorganic water and mineral ions Organic : produced by living things :

-carbohydrates -lipids -proteins -nucleic acid

Water
Small molecules; 2 hydrogen and one oxygen
Liquid at room temperature unlike similar small

molecules such as ammonia or methane which are gas at room temperature.

Structure of a water molecule

When water molecule is formed, two pairs of electrons

are shared and two pairs are not shared. The oxygen is linked to the hydrogen by two covalent bonds

Shape of water molecules

The unshared electrons of the oxygen molecule tend to

repel the shared electrons , causing the hydrogen atoms to be pushed towards each other giving the water molecule a V-shape structure.

Nature of water molecule

Water is a polar molecule; A polar molecule is a

molecule with an uneven distribution of charges. The unshared electrons of oxygen tends to pull the shared electrons towards the oxygen side causing the formation of a small negative charge at the oxygen end (2-) and slight positive charges at the Hydrogen end (+)

Formation of Hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen bond: is a force of attraction between the

small negative charge on an electronegative atom, such as oxygen and the small positive charge on a hydrogen atom which is bonded to another electronegative atom.

Formation of Hydrogen bonds

Water is dipolar; its electronegative oxygen tends to

form Hydrogen bonds with hydrogen atoms of other water molecules; its own hydrogen atoms gets attracted to oxygen atom from other water molecules.

Water molecules are sticky

Water molecules are polar molecules therefore they

form ? Bonds with other water molecules. They tend to stick / cling to each thus giving them unique properties which are important to life

High specific heat capacity

The amount of heat energy required to increase the

temperature of 1 g of substance by 1 degree celsius. Relevance: It takes a lot of heat energy to raise the temperature of water ( ???) . So water temperature is fairly stable even if the air temperature changes rapidly : application???

High latent heat of vaporisation

Much heat is needed to change liquid water into

vapour (?) so much heat energy is absorbed as water evaporates from body surfaces Application??

High density
Water is a dense liquid (???) it is able to support

organisms by the up thrust it exerts; animals like whale are able to support its body weight in water can a whale supports its body weight in air? Ice is less dense than liquid water. Relevance? Ice floats on water and during winter lakes freezes at the top first , protecting organisms below. In a way, it insulated the water below.

High density
Max density is at 4 degrees; therefore as the ice melts

the water sinks, which produces water currents that mix the nutrients (?) in the water
Extra info: water expands upon freezing (more H-

bonds form a lattice in ice crystals)

COHESION
Cohesion is a tendency of molecules of a substance to

attract one another Hydrogen bonding increases the cohesive forces between water molecules. Water molecules are pulled inwards towards each other.

EFFECTS OF COHESION
Water molecules form spherical drops rather than

spreading out in a layer. Water molecules on the surface are attracted to those below forming a skin-like surface . The force that causes this skin like surface is known as surface tension- this allow small organisms to support themselves on the surface of water without sinking in

Cohesion and movement of water in columns

Water rises in a column because of cohesion
Example : water travels up the xylem vessels when the

water are pulled from above by transpiration.

Adhesion and Capillarity

Attraction between two unlike molecules
Water in a column is attracted to one another -? And

also water molecules that are in contact with the wall of the xylem tends to be attracted to the walls of xylem. This cause the water to travels up the xylem. This is capillarity Capillarity also occurs in small glass tubes or even drinking straws.

Good solvent
Water is a ? Substance
Many molecules have polar groups or molecules that

can dissociate to give polar ions. These charged particles are attracted to the polar water molecules and become dispersed among water molecules. Relevance of this property? 1) water as a transport medium 2) most metabolic reactions takes place in solution

Reactivity
Water can take part in chemical reactions in body

metabolism. It is an important reactant in HYDROLYSIS reaction and also in PHOTOSYNTHESIS

transparency
Water is transparent allowing light to pass through
Light is important in photosynthesis

Summary of water function

METABOLIC ROLE
Hydrolysis Medium for chemical reaction

Diffusion and osmosis

photosynthetic substrate

 WATER AS A SOLVENT
Transport Removal of waste

secretions

 WATER AS A LUBRICANT
Mucus Synovial fluid

Pleural fluid
Pericardial fluid

 WATER FOR SUPPORT

Hydrostatic skeleton Turgor pressure

Humours of the eye

Amniotic fluid Habitat

 OTHER FUNCTIONS
Temperature control Medium for dispersal

Hearing and balance