Discuss three physical or chemical properties of water and explain how each of these properties contributes to the importance of water for life on Earth to survive
What will be an ideal response?
A good answer will include any three of the following five properties and explanations:
a . Water molecules tend to stick together (hydrogen bonding), which contributes to the flowing nature of water. Most fluids in living things are mainly water, so this flow helps to deliver nutrients (blood), sperm (semen), etc., to the proper location.
b. Ice floats. This made it possible for many life-forms to survive the ice ages. As a layer of ice formed on the surfaces of deep bodies of water, the organisms in the water below were protected from the extreme temperatures.
c. Water resists changes in temperature. Thus the first organisms that evolved in the Earth's oceans were protected from temperature extremes and rapid temperature fluctuations.
d. Water is a universal solvent. This makes it an excellent medium for transporting nutrients.
e. Water exhibits a slight tendency to dissociate into hydrogen and hydroxide ions. These ions are very important to many of the reactions involved in metabolism.
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