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Living Organisms And Water
Why Is Water
Important for Living Organisms?
By Jack Ori
All living
organisms require water for survival. For example, all oxygen-dependent
organisms need water to aid in the respiration process.
Water has many uses for
organisms.
The way that it is utilized
can be categorized in four different ways: as a solvent, as a temperature
buffer, as a metabolite and as a living environment.
TL ; DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)
Living organisms need water
to survive.
Many scientists even believe
that if any extra-terrestrial exists, water must be present in their
environments.
All oxygen-dependent
organisms need water to aid in the respiration process.
Some organisms, such as
fish, can only breathe in water.
Other organisms require
water to break down food molecules or generate energy during the respiration
process.
Water also helps many
organisms regulate metabolism and dissolves compounds going into or out of the
body.
Water as a Solvent
Water attracts both positive
and negative ions, because of the nature of the chemical bonds in water.
Thus, positive ions are
attracted to the oxygen in water, while negative ions are attracted to
the hydrogen.
This allows water to
dissolve compounds important for survival, such as glucose gleaned
from ingesting food.
Water as a Temperature
Buffer
Temperature regulation is
vital for chemical reactions important to cellular activity, such
as cellular respiration.
Enzymes, or proteins that
act as catalysts to start chemical reactions, are heat-sensitive and will
operate only at specific temperatures.
Water has a high specific
heat capacity, meaning it takes a lot of heat to raise its temperature.
Thus, water absorbs much
heat without the temperature of the organism being raised. This prevents
enzymes from becoming overheated and failing to function.
Water as a Metabolite
The sum total of chemical
reactions within an organism is called metabolism.
Water is a metabolite, or a
chemical involved in reactions. In this way, it is is necessary for the
continued survival of both plants and animals.
In plants, water aids
in photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into food.
During the first stage of
photosynthesis, water splits into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Oxygen is released
into the atmosphere, while hydrogen is used in the rest of the chemical
reaction to produce glucose to feed the plant.
In animals, water aids in
respiration. Water helps to split adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into
adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and phosphoric acid.
Cellular energy is released
as a byproduct of this process. Water formation from oxygen and depleted
hydrogen also moves waste products out of the body after the respiration cycle
is complete.
Water as Living Environment
Water-based organisms such
as fish require water to breathe, directly breathing the oxygen dissolved in
water. Without a water supply, they could not access oxygen and would
suffocate.
Water also helps insulate
the living environment for these organisms.
When the body of water is
deep enough, the water keeps fish warm during the winter months, even when ice
forms on the surface of the water.
Jack Ori has been a writer since 2009. He has worked with clients in the legal, financial and nonprofit industries, as well as contributed self-help articles to various publications.
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