CHAPTER 1

MOLECULES OF LIFE
1.1 a)explain the structure !
"ater #lecule.
$) %escri$e the prperties ! "ater an%
its i#prtance&uni'ersal sl'ent( l"
'iscsit)( hi*h speci!ic heat capacit)(
hi*h latent heat ! 'apri+atin( hi*h
sur!ace tensin( #axi#u# %ensit) at
,-C

OBJECTIVES:
Students should be able to:

explain the physical and

chemical properties and
physiological functions of water

draw the structure of water

molecule

explain the properties of water

as constituent of life

.ATER
Stucture Properties
1. .ater as uni'ersal sl'ent
/. 0iscsit) ! "ater 1 lu$ricatin )
2. Speci!ic heat capacit)
,. Latent heat ! 'aprisatin
3. Sur!ace tensin& a%hesi'e 4 chesi'e

!rces
5. The e!!ect ! te#perature n "ater
%ensit)
Roles

.ATER
Structure

Consists of an oxygen
atom and two hydrogen
atoms : (H
2
O)

The two H atoms are

oined to the O atom by
sharing of electrons
(co!alent bond)

c'alent $n%

The 3 atoms form a

V-shape, ot a
strai!ht lie

The an*le "et#ee

the $ h%&ro!e atoms
is 1-,.36

There is a sli*ht
ne*ati'e char*e
178) n the O
at# an% a sli*ht
psiti'e char*e
179) n $th H
at#s
1-,.36

A #lecule carr)in*
such an une:ual
%istri$utin ! electrical
char*e is calle% a plar
#lecule

H bonds form when a hydrogen

atom is attracted to another
strongly electronegati!e atom
(e"g" #$ O % &)

' partial positi!e H of one H2O

is attracted to the partial
negati!e O of nearby H2O

The molecules are held together

by a hydrogen bond (H bond)

(ach H
(ach H
2 2
O
O
can
can
form Hydrogen
form Hydrogen
bonds
bonds
with up to
with up to
maximum
maximum
)
)
partners
partners

Hydrogen bonds are wea*er

than co!alent bonds
(but they are strong enough to
hold water molecules together)
O
H

'i(ue properties of )
$
O
are &ue mostl% to
- its a$ilit) t !r# H $n%s
- its plarit)
- its s#all si+e*

Because of the plarit),

)
$
O are also attracte& to
char*e% particles r
char*e% sur!aces

Water is an important
component of cells
- acts as a sol!ent & is
often a reactant in metabolism
& pro!ides an a+ueous
en!ironment for many organisms.

,roperties of water as !ital
constituent of life
+* .ater as a uni'ersal sl'ent
/. L" 'iscsit) ! "ater
2. Hi*h Speci!ic heat capacit)
,. Hi*h Latent heat ! 'aprisatin ! "ater
3. E!!ect ! te#perature n "ater
%ensit)
5. ;reat Sur!ace tensin& a%hesi'e 4
chesi'e !rces

-ater as a uni!ersal sol!ent

. because of its polar molecules
. /issol!es other polar compound
easily due to the electrostatic
interaction between H
2
O
% charged component in the
compound
1) .ater as a uni'ersal sl'ent
1) .ater as a uni'ersal sl'ent

,owerful sol!ent for 0

i" polar substances
(eg: sugars which ha!e
slightly charged hydroxyl
(1OH) groups)
ii" ionic compounds
(eg: sodium chloride)
iii" organic molecules with
ioni2ed groups (such as the
carboxyl group 3COO
1
$ and
amino group 3&H
4
5
)

6any polar substances are

dissol!ed in water of
biological 7uids such as salts

&on1polar substances (lipids &

hydrocarbons) that do not
interact with water"

Eg: oil on the surface of water

oxygen
hydrogen

#or example
-the oxygen regions of H
2
O cling
to sodium (&a
5
) cations
(positi!ely charged ions)
the hydrogen regions are
attracted to chloride (Cl
1
)
anions (negati!ely
charged ions)

' shell of water molecules

surrounds the indi!idual ions$
separating the sodium from
the chloride

$* ,o# -iscosit% of #ater

H bonds can easily be bro*en$

molecules can slide o!er each
other

6a*es it suitable as medium of

transportation in li!ing organisms

(g: blood !essels and watery

solution for example can act as a
lubricants to allow food mo!e
easily down the alimentary canal"

3* Specific heat capacit%

8The amount of heat needed for 9

g
of that substance to change its
temperature by 9
o
C:

-ater has a high speci;c heat

(9 cal<g<
o
C)

' lot of energy is re+uired to raise

the temperature of water

Specific )eat Capacit% .#ater/
=9 cal<g<
o
C or )"2 ><g<
o
C
+ calorie 0 1*$ Joule

6uch energy is needed to brea*

the hydrogen bonds that
restrict
the mo!ement of water
molecules

'+uatic en!ironments li*e ponds

and la*es are all !ery slow to
change temperature e!en when
the surrounding air temperature
changes

This enable the a+uatic

organisms
to li!e in a fa!ourable
en!ironment

1* ,atet heat of -apori2atio
Heat of !aporisation is the:

8?uantity of heat a li+uid must

absorb for con!erting 9 g of it to
the gaseous state:

-ater has a high heat of

!apori2ation
relati!ely re"uiring about @AB
calorie of heat is to e!aporate #g
of water at room temperature

6uch energy is needed to turn

li+uid water into water !apor
(gaseous)

because H bonds between

water molecules ma*e it diCcult

for them to be separated and
!apori2ed

$or a H
2
O to e!aporate% it must
!ibrate % mo!e +uic*ly enough
to brea* all the H bonds holding it
to the other H
2
O"
&nly the fastest mo!ing '
(
&%
carrying the most energy% can
brea* their H bonds % escape
as water !apour"

)he remaining li+uid becomes

cooler due to the loss of these
high energy molecules.

Eg: When a person*s body

temperature begins to rise%
he sweats.

(!aporation of sweat uses

a lot of heat energy"

This energy has a cooling

eDect to the s*in and
helps pre!ent o!erheating

&ther eg: transpiration from

green lea!es% gi!es cooling
efect because the escaping
molecules absorb a lot of heat
energy

+nimals that do not sweat will

bathe or wet themsel!es with
water to pre!ent their bodies
from o!erheating during hot days.

3* Effect of temperature o #ater &esit%

Water is unusually reaching

its maximum density at ,-.

Water expands when they

solidify at /-. (as ' bonds
become stable and 0eep the
molecules far apart)

Ece is less dense than

the li+uid water around it0 the
ice 7oats on top

So$ the whole ponds or la*es

rarely free2e solid (only the
surface is fro2en)

'+uatic life can generally sur!i!e

The 7oating layer of ice also

insulates (pre!ent loss of heat)
the water below

4* Surface tesio:
cohesi-e a& a&hesi-e forces

H bonds ma*e water molecules

stic* to each other (cohesion)

-ater molecules can also

attached to the surface of
another substance (adhesion)

This helps in transport of water

in plants

-ater adheres strongly to xylem

surfaces and can be drawn
upwards$ without the water
column brea*ing

Felated to cohesion
is surface tension

-ater has great

surface tension
(hard to brea* the
surface of water)

This allows some

organisms to mo!e
on water

(g: the water

strider