The functions of water is an important section of work in Biology but can be tedious to teach. This slide-show shows the wonders of water as a polar molecule and how water has amazing properties such as capillarity, hydrolysis, and can float as ice. Water is a stable habitat for aquatic organisms, is a universal solvent, a reactant in many chemical processes and makes up 2/3 of the bodies of most organisms.

3. FUNCTIONS OF
WATER
# We all know water is vitally
important.
# We should drink 8 glasses
of water daily (about 2l)
# But what does our body
actually DO with all this
water?

5. IN SHORT, ABOUT
TWO THIRDS OF OUR
BODIES CONSIST OF
WATER!

6. METABOLIC CELL
PROCESSES
CYTOPLASM IS A WATERY MEDIUM
THAT ALLOWS MANY CELLULAR
PROCESSES TO OCCUR SUCH AS:
CELLULAR RESPIRATION IN THE
MITOCHONDRION
FURTHER DIGESTION INSIDE THE
LYSOSOME OF ANIMAL CELLS
CYTOPLASMIC STREAMING
OSMOSIS AND DIFFUSION
ENZYMATIC REACTIONS

7. PHOTOSYNTHESIS
WATER IS ONE OF THE REAGENTS (I.E.
CHEMICALS) THAT MUST BE PRESENT
FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO OCCUR. IN
FACT, THE WATER MOLECULES BOND
TO THE CARBON DIOXIDE MOLECULES
TO PRODUCE THE FINAL PRODUCT
WHICH IS GLUCOSE.

8. # DIGESTION REQUIRES WATER TO OCCUR.
# IT HELPS SOFTEN THE FOOD FOR SWALLOWING AND PERISTALSIS
# IT IS THE MEDIUM FOR ENZYME REACTIONS
# WATER CAUSES HYDROLYSIS WHERE THE WATER MOLECULE ACTUALLY BONDS
WITH THE LARGER MOLECULES AND HELPING THEM TO BREAK DOWN INTO
SMALLER MOLECULES.
# HELPS DISSOLVE THE FINAL PRODUCTS OF DIGESTION.

9. WATER HELPS FORMS PART OF
HYDROSTATIC SKELETONS

11. WATER AS A HABITAT
WATER:
• ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO GROW HUGE BY SUPPORTING THEIR BODIES
• CONTAINS DISSOLVED MINERALS AND OXYGEN THAT HELPS SUSTAIN AQUATIC
ORGANISMS
• ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO MOVE EASILY
• PROVIDES A STABLE TEMPERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT AS WATER TAKES A LONG
TIME TO HEAT UP OR COOL DOWN.

12. WATER IS A POLAR
MOLECULE

13. WATER HAS MANY UNIQUE PROPERTIES SUCH
AS: IT IS LIGHTER AS ICE THAN IT IS AS WATER!
This allows organisms to survive under
water at the poles as well as in ponds
that are iced over in winter!

14. THESE MOLECULES ARE HELD TOGETHER
BY WEAK INTERMOLECULAR FORCES AND
LIKE TO STICK TO EACH OTHER. THIS IS
CALLED COHESION.

15. WATER ALSO HAS ADHESIVE (STICKING TO OTHER
OBJECTS) FORCES WHICH ALLOWS CAPILLARITY
TO OCCUR.
Capillarity is when these forces of cohesion and adhesion
allow liquids to move up capillary tubes.

16. CAPILLARITY ASSISTS
WATER IN MOVING UP
PLANTS.
Extra large xylem in
a Maple tree,
Canada.

17. 2/3 OF BLOOD IS MADE OF
WATER AND TRANSPORTS
ALL THE ESSENTIAL
SUBSTANCES AROUND THE
BODY E.G. FOOD, GASES,
HORMONES, HEAT ETC.

18. WATER ALSO HAS A HIGH VISCOSITY SO THAT SMALL
CREATURES MAY WALK ON IT.
• BOATMAN

19. SO…LETS DRINK THAT WATER!

20. AND SEEING AS THOUGH CLEAN FRESH
WATER IS BECOMING A SCARCE RESOURCE,
LETS

21. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• GOOGLES IMAGES
• CONTENT FROM ANY STANDARD BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK
• BY JEAN REAH, ST CONRADS COLLEGE, RSA