![]() If you were to stir a teaspoon of sugar into a glass of water, the sugar would dissolve into sugar molecules separated by water molecules. ![]() An important characteristic of solutions is that they are homogeneous that is, the solute molecules are distributed evenly throughout the solution. In chemistry, a liquid solution consists of a solvent that dissolves a substance called a solute. The room air you breathe is a gaseous mixture, containing argon, molecules of nitrogen and oxygen, and one compound- carbon dioxide.įor cells in the body to survive, they must be kept moist in a water-based liquid called a solution. The concept is easy to imagine if you think of powdery substances such as flour and sugar when you stir them together in a bowl, they obviously do not bond to form a new compound. In other words, the constituent substances are not chemically bonded into a new, larger chemical compound. Water as a Component of Liquid MixturesĪ mixture is a combination of two or more substances, each of which maintains its own chemical identity. This removal of heat by evaporation results in a cooling of the blood in the body’s periphery, near the surface of the skin, which then circulates back to the body core and cools the body. For evaporation of this water to occur, the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules must be broken, requiring a relatively high amount of energy that in part includes heat. At the same time, sweat glands release warm water in sweat. ![]() This cooling effect happens as warm blood from the body’s core flows to the blood vessels just under the skin and is transferred out to the environment as radiant heat. Moreover, when environmental temperature soars, the water stored in the body helps keep the body cool. ![]() In the body, water absorbs the heat generated by chemical reactions without greatly increasing in temperature. Water as a Heat SinkĪ heat sink is a substance or object that absorbs and dissipates heat but does not experience a corresponding increase in temperature. Water cushions a developing fetus in the mother’s womb as well. Water also protects cells and organs from physical trauma, cushioning the brain within the skull, for example, and protecting the delicate nerve tissue of the eyes. Watery fluids help keep food flowing through the digestive tract, and ensure that the movement of adjacent abdominal organs is friction free. Just as oil lubricates the hinge on a door, water in synovial fluid lubricates the actions of body joints, and water in pleural fluid helps the lungs expand and recoil with breathing. Water is a major component of many of the body’s lubricating fluids. Biological Importance of Water Water as a Lubricant and Cushion Its several roles make water indispensable to human functioning. This water is contained both within the cells and between the cells that make up tissues and organs. Specify the percentage of body fluid volume made up by that compartment.Īs much as 70 percent of a human’s body weight is water.Define the compartment by specifying its location in the human body.For each of the major fluid compartments of the human body:.You may use a calculator if necessary, but must clearly show all your work! Given your (approximate) body weight, calculate the amount of water you contain, in litres.Specify the percentage of body weight that is composed of water and estimate the amount of body water you contain in litres. Describe its importance in the human body.For each of the four biologically important properties of water:.Explain the biological importance of water. At the end of this unit, you should be able to complete all the following tasks, including answering the guiding questions associated with each task.
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