WATER AND LIFE

Listed below are some of the physical properties of water. These physical properties have significance for all
organisms, meaning that water plays a crucial role in life. This worksheet contains space beside each physical
property of water, to describe the significance for life of that property.

PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF WATER

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE

1. Water is a liquid at room temperature

Room temperature is the 'normal' temperature around the planet. Life can occur in water but
not in ice or water vapour (steam). Biological reactions take place in water, not in ice or
steam. So, in most places around the planet, the temperature means it is possible for life to
occur.
2. Water has a very high heat capacity
(Much heat is required to raise the temperature of water)
Water is a very stable environment. Its temperature rises only slowly and gives organisms
time to respond to temperature changes.
Water is valuable as a heat 'sink', meaning excess heat in the environment is absorbed by
water before it can impact living things.
3. Water has high latent heat of vaporisation
(Evaporation of water requires a great deal of heat)
Water provides a very stable environment, for reasons stated in 2. (above).
It takes a great deal of heat to boil water and turn it into water vapour. Life cannot survive
in water vapour.
Evaporating water can also be used by organisms for lowering body temperature, for
instance the evaporation of sweat on the skin of animals.
4. Water has a very high latent heat of fusion
(Much heat must be removed before water freezes)
It is very difficult for water to go from liquid to solid ice. Again this means that organisms
have a constant environment in which to live, with little risk of their surroundings becoming
ice (or water vapour - see 3. above), and with little risk of their cells becomes frozen and
dying.
5. Ice is less dense than water
Ice floats on water and thus acts as an insulating layer, enabling life to continue in the water
beneath. A frozen pond in winter can still contain plant and animal life.
6. Water has high surface tension
(Water molecules create a film around themselves at the boundary between water and air)
Water is thus contained in drops and does not flow away.
Some organisms with very low density can 'walk' over the surface tension film.
7. Water has a very low viscosity
(Water molecules easily slide over each other)
This means it is very easy for water to flow - through the xylem of plants or through blood
vessels of animals, or along streams and rivers. This makes water a very good medium for
transport.

8. Water has strong cohesive properties

(Water molecules adhere to each other and water columns do not break or pull apart)
Water columns or streams flow easily, without breaking up. Water molecules pull each other
along. The water passing from the roots of plants, to their leaves, remains as an unbroken
column. Blood flows without breaking up.
9. Water is a universal solvent
(Water easily dissolves substances)
ALL biological reactions occur in water. No reactions in life occur in any other solvent or
without water being present. Most reactions occur because reactants (substrates) dissolve,
meaning they easily associate with either the +ve hydrogens or -ve oxygens.
10. Water has a high transmission of light
(Water is colourless or transparent)
Light passes through water and thus enables photosynthesis to occur under water.
Organisms can also 'see' under water.
11. Water is difficult to compress
This means that soft-bodied organisms such as animals with no skeleton (eg. worms) or plants
can maintain shape and structure. The turgor pressure in plants - the pressure of water
against the cell wall - provides much of their support and strength.
12. Water is the raw material for many reactions
Reactions such as photosynthesis depend upon water as one of the substrates.
Any reaction in biology which involves the breakdown of a complex substance into simpler
substances is likely to be a hydrolysis reaction, meaning water is required. Examples are
the digestion reactions in the gut, all of which require water.
13. Many substances can be hydrated (or dehydrated) and therefore exist in two
forms
Often one form, usually the dehydrated form, is used for storage in an organism. When
hydrated, the substance can be transported or reacted. An example is starch which is used can
be dehydrated and stored in a plant, later to be hydrated and converted to sugars and used.