Chapter 3

Water and life

Lectures by: Dr.Saed AL Lahham

Overview: The Molecule That Supports
All of Life
• Water is the biological medium on Earth (75% of
earth is covered by water)
• The abundance of water is the main reason the
Earth is habitable
• All living organisms require water more than any
other substance
• Most cells are surrounded by water, and cells
themselves are about 70–95% water

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 So what properties of the simple
water make it very important to life?
Concept 3.1: Polar covalent bonds in water
molecules result in hydrogen bonding
• The water molecule is a polar molecule: the
opposite ends have opposite charges
• Polarity allows water molecules to form hydrogen
bonds with each other

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 Animation: Water Structure
Right-click slide/select “Play”
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Figure 3.2

δ−
Hydrogen
δ+ bond

Polar covalent
bonds
δ−
δ+
δ− δ+
δ−
δ+
Figure 3.UN01
Concept 3.2: Four emergent properties of
water contribute to Earth’s suitability for
life
 Four of water’s properties that facilitate an
environment for life are
 Cohesive behavior
 Ability to moderate temperature
 Expansion upon freezing
 Versatility as a solvent

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4- Water: The Solvent of Life
• A solution is a liquid that is a homogeneous
mixture of substances
• A solvent is the dissolving agent of a solution
• The solute is the substance that is dissolved
• An aqueous solution is one in which water is
the solvent

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 • Water is a versatile solvent due to its polarity,
which allows it to form hydrogen bonds easily
• When an ionic compound is dissolved in water,
each ion is surrounded by a sphere of water
molecules called a hydration shell

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Figure 3.7

−
Na+
+
+
− −
+
− −
Na+
−
+ +

Cl− Cl− +
−
− +
−
+
−
−
 • Water can also dissolve compounds made of
nonionic polar molecules
• Even large polar molecules such as proteins can
dissolve in water if they have ionic and polar
regions

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Figure 3.8

δ+

δ− δ−

δ+
Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Substances
• A hydrophilic substance is one that has an
affinity for water
• A hydrophobic substance is one that does not
have an affinity for water
• Oil molecules are hydrophobic because they
have relatively nonpolar bonds

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Solute Concentration in Aqueous Solutions
• Most biochemical reactions occur in water
• Chemical reactions depend on collisions of
molecules and therefore on the concentration of
solutes in an aqueous solution

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Mole concept
• 1 mole = 6.02X1023 of anything  Avogadro’s number.
• Molecular mass is the sum of all masses of all atoms in a
molecule
• Numbers of molecules are usually measured in moles,
where 1 mole (mol) = 6.02 x 1023 molecules
• Avogadro’s number and the unit dalton were defined such
that 6.02 x 1023 daltons = 1 g
– the mass of a single atom of an element (in daltons) is
numerically equal to the mass of one mole of those
atoms (in grams).
– Molar mass of C-12 = 6.02X1023 X 12 amu X
1,6605402X10-27 Kg/amu = 12 g

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Molarity and Molality

• Molarity (M) is the number of moles of solute

per liter of solution
• Molarity (M)=Moles of solutes/L of solution
• So 1 mole of an atom equal its atomic weight
in g/mole (1 mole of C = 12 g/mole).
• Molality: The number of moles of solute
divided by the weight measured in Kg.
• Molality=Moles of solutes/Kg
• Mole= mass/Mwt
Calculating M
• From moles and volume (easiest):
– What is the molarity of a solution containing 0.32 moles of NaCl in
3.4 liters?
–  0.32 mole/3,4L= 0.094 M
• From Mass and Volume:
– What is the molarity of a solution made by dissolving 2.5 g of NaCl
in enough water to make 125 ml of solution?
– Moles= mass/mwt 2,5g/58.5g/mole= 0.0427 mole
– M= 0.0427 mole/ 0.125= 0.34 M
• Calculating Mass of Solute from Molarity:
– How would you prepare 400. ml of 1.20 M solution of sodium
chloride?
– Moles = V*M  0.4L*1.2 mole/L= 0.48 moles
– Mass = mwt*moles 58.5*0.48 = 28.1 g
Diluting solutions

• moles = M*V, but moles are equal before

and after dilution
•  Mi*Vi=Mf*Vf
• Which one is the highest concentration?
• How can we make them equally concentrated
without adding more atoms?
Exercises
1. A sample of 0.0256 mole of FeCl3 was dissolved in water to
give 25 ml Soln?
2. What volume of 0.12M CuSO4 is required to give 0.15 mole of
CuSO4?
3. How many grams of Na2Cr2O7, should be added to 50 ml flask
to prepare 0.025 M? Given that the Mwt of Na is 23, Cr is 104
and O is 16.
4. A 4 g sugar cube (sucrose: C12H22O11) is dissolved in a 350 ml
teacup filled with hot water. What is the molarity of the sugar
solution? Given that Mwt of C is 12, H is 1 and O is 16.
5. How many mL of 14.8 M NH3 solution you need to prepare 100
ml of 1 M NH3?
6. How many mL of 15.8 M HNO3 solution you need to prepare 1 L
of 0.12 M HNO3?
Concept 3.3: Acidic and basic conditions
affect living organisms
• A hydrogen atom in a hydrogen bond between
two water molecules can shift from one to the
other
– The hydrogen atom leaves its electron behind
and is transferred as a proton, or hydrogen
ion (H+)
– The molecule with the extra proton is now a
hydronium ion (H3O+), though it is often
represented as H+
– The molecule that lost the proton is now a
hydroxide ion (OH–)
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 • Water is in a state of dynamic equilibrium in
which water molecules dissociate at the same
rate at which they are being reformed

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Figure 3.UN02

+ −

2 H2O Hydronium Hydroxide

ion (H3O+) ion (OH−)
 • Though statistically rare, the dissociation of
water molecules has a great effect on
organisms
• Changes in concentrations of H+ and OH– can
drastically affect the chemistry of a cell

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 • Concentrations of H+ and OH– are equal in pure
water
• Adding certain solutes, called acids and bases,
modifies the concentrations of H+ and OH–
• Biologists use something called the pH scale to
describe whether a solution is acidic or basic
(the opposite of acidic)

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Acids and Bases
• An acid is any substance that increases the H+
concentration of a solution
• A base is any substance that reduces the H+
concentration of a solution

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The pH Scale
• In any aqueous solution at 25°C the product of
H+ and OH– is constant and can be written as

[H+][OH–]/[H2O] = Kc
[H+][OH–] = Kw
[H+][OH–] = 10–14
X2 = 10–14  [H+] = 10–7
• The pH of a solution is defined by the negative
logarithm of H+ concentration, written as
pH = –log [H+]

pH = –(–7) = 7
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 • Acidic solutions have pH values less than 7
• Basic solutions have pH values greater than 7
• Most biological fluids have pH values in the range
of 6 to 8
• In human blood pH is 7.35-7.45.

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Figure 3.10
pH Scale
0

1 Battery acid

Increasingly Acidic
2 Gastric juice, lemon juice
H+

[H+] > [OH−]

H+
− H+ Vinegar, wine,
H+ OH
− +
3
OH H H+ cola
+
H H+

Acidic 4 Tomato juice

solution Beer
Black coffee
5
Rainwater
6 Urine
OH− Saliva
OH− Neutral
H+ H+ OH− 7
[H+] = [OH−]
Pure water
−
OH− OH + Human blood, tears
H+ H+ H
8 Seawater
Neutral
Inside of small intestine
solution
Increasingly Basic

9
[H+] < [OH−]

10
Milk of magnesia
OH−
OH−
OH− H+ OH−
11
OH− OH
− Household ammonia
H+ OH−
12
Basic
solution Household
13 bleach
Oven cleaner
14
The importance of pH control
– The pH of the ECF remains between 7.35
and 7.45
– If plasma levels fall below 7.35 (acidemia),
acidosis results
– If plasma levels rise above 7.45
(alkalemia), alkalosis results
– Alteration outside these boundaries affects
all body systems
• Can result in death 7 or 7.8
Buffers
• The internal pH of most living cells must remain
close to pH 7
• Buffers are substances that minimize changes
in concentrations of H+ and OH– in a solution
(usually weak acid and its conjugate base)
• Most buffers consist of an acid-base pair that
reversibly combines with H+
• To prepare a buffer, the choice of the weak acid
depends on your needs. Usually look for a buffer
with a Pka equal to the needed pH.

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Carbonic Acid – Bicarbonate Buffer
System

Respiratory component Renal

component

CO2 + H2O H2CO3 H+ + HCO3

–

Principal buffer system in the body. Provides 95% of

buffering capacity in plasma.
Weak acids

HA
+
H + A
-
Weak acids Conjugate base
Henderson–Hasselbalch equation

HA
+
H + A-

Ka , acid dissociation constant (also

known as acidity constant, or acid-
ionization constant)
Henderson–Hasselbalch equation

log log

log log
Henderson–Hasselbalch equation

log log X

log log
+ log
 Henderson–Hasselbalch equation

- log
- + log

pKa = -log Ka

pH = -log
example

• Calculate the pH of a buffer solution made

from 0.20 M HC 2 H 3 O 2 and 0.50 M
C 2 H 3O 2 - that has an acid dissociation
constant for HC 2 H 3 O 2 of 1.8 x 10 -5 .
Applications of the Henderson-
Hasselbalch equation
• To calculate how pH of a physiologic soln responds to changes in the
concentration of weak acids or bases.
• To calculate the ionic form of certain drugs, because charged drugs
cant pass the membranes.
Acid-base properties of amino acids

• Amino acids in aqueous solution contain

weakly acidic carboxyl gp and weakly basic
amino gp (ampholyte).
Acid-base titration

Is a method for determining the amount

of acid in a solution by determining the
volume of base of known concentration
that will completely react with it.
Acid-base titration curve: is a plot of the
pH of a solution of acid against the volume
of added base.
Amino acid titration
zwitterion

• -COOH/-COO- pair can serve as a buffer in the pH region

around pK1
• -NH3+/-NH2 pair can serve as a buffer in the pH region
around pK2
• pH=pK then base and acid concentration is equal
• pI: (isoelectric point) is the pH at which amino acid is
electrically neutral that is the net charge is zero
• Zwitterion: the isoelectric form of an amino acid.