BIOLOGY SB015

BIOLOGY UNIT
SEMESTER 1
KOLEJ MATRIKULASI MELAKA
SESSION 2020/2021

CHAPTER 1: MOLECULES OF LIFE

1.1 WATER
1.2 CARBOHYDRATES
1.3 LIPIDS
1.4 PROTEINS
1.5 DNA AND RNA MOLECULES

UPS 1 PSPM
3 marks 5 marks
 BIOLOGY SB015
CHAPTER 1 : SEMESTER 1
MOLECULES OF LIFE SESSION 2020/2021

1.1 WATER
LEARNING OUTCOMES
a) State the structure and properties of water molecule
b) Relate the properties of water and its importance:
i. universal solvent
ii. low viscosity
iii. high specific heat capacity
iv. high latent heat of
vaporization
v. high surface tension
vi. maximum density
at 4OC 2
 ROLES OF WATER
• medium for enzymatic reactions
• solvent for polar molecules
• medium for exchange of respiratory
gases
• external media for aquatic organsims
in locomotion,secretion of waste
products, for food resources, external
fertilization)
STRUCTURE OF ONE WATER MOLECULE

▪ wide V-shaped structure :

• 1 oxygen atom
• 2 hydrogen atoms
▪ covalent bonds

▪ bond angle: 104.5°

STRUCTURE OF ONE WATER MOLECULE
Schematic Diagram Showing Covalent
Bond Within a Water Molecule

Covalent bond
STRUCTURE OF ONE WATER MOLECULE

▪ Polar molecule
• opposite ends of water molecule
have opposite charges
• oxygen: partial negative charge;
δ–
• hydrogen: partial positive charge;
δ+
STRUCTURE OF ONE WATER MOLECULE

Why oxygen is partially negative and hydrogen is

partially positive?
 FORMATION OF HYDROGEN BOND

▪ Polarity allows water molecules to

form hydrogen bonds between
each other
▪ Hydrogen atoms (H) of one water
molecule is attracted to oxygen
atoms (O) of other water molecule by
hydrogen bonds
 Schematic Diagram Showing Hydrogen
Bonds Between Water Molecules
⮚ONE water molecule will form hydrogen bond
to a maximum of FOUR water molecules

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2
3
Schematic Diagram Showing Hydrogen
Bonds Between Water Molecules
 Hydrogen Bond

• Hydrogen bonds are

weaker than covalent
bonds but, strong
enough to hold water
molecules together
 QUESTION

1. Why is it unlikely that two

neighbouring water molecules
would be arranged like this?

2. What would be the effect on the properties

of the water molecule if oxygen and
hydrogen had equal electronegativity?
 PROPERTIES OF WATER

1. Is universal solvent
2. Has low viscosity
3. Has high specific heat capacity
4. Has high latent heat of vaporization
5. Has high surface tension
6. Has maximum density at 4°C
 1. IS UNIVERSAL SOLVENT
Due to its polarity, water act as
universal solvent
▪ It can dissolve ionic and polar
molecules e.g. sodium chloride (NaCl)

• oxygen atoms (O) are attracted to

positively charged sodium ion (Na+)
• hydrogen atoms are attracted
to negatively charged chloride ion
(Cl-)
 QUESTION
When you pour some table salt (NaCl)
into a cup of water, what really happens?
The sphere of water molecules
around each dissolved ion is
called a hydration shell.

Water molecule surround sodium and

chloride ions,
separate and avoid them from each other.
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF
WATER IS UNIVERSAL SOLVENT

• Due to its polarity

• Provides an aqueous medium

for biochemical reactions
(i.e. enzymatic reactions)

• Major transport medium in living

organisms (e.g. in blood capillaries
of human and in xylem of plants)
 2. HAS LOW VISCOSITY

▪ Hydrogen bonds between water

molecules is continuously form, break
and reform

➢Results in, water

molecules can flow
easily with less friction
(for e.g. through
narrow blood vessel)
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF
WATER HAS LOW VISCOSITY

▪ As lubricant to lubricates movement of

substances (e.g. peristaltic movement
of food bolus in esophagus)
▪ As lubricant to lubricates joints in
vertebrates
Synovial fluid isa thick liquid that is encapsulated within the joints.
Enabling free easy movement by reducing amount of friction
3. HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY
Definition of high specific heat capacity :
Large @ high amount of heat energy
that must be absorbed or released for
1 gram of water molecules to change
its temperature by 1ºC

Specific heat capacity for water

= 1 cal/gºC @ 4.2 J/gºC
3. HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY
▪ Large amount of heat energy is
absorbed to break ALL hydrogen
bonds between water molecules in
order to increase the temperature
of water molecules
▪ to form hydrogen bonds between
Large amount of heat energy is
released water molecules in order to
decrease the temperature of water
molecules
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF
WATER HAS HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT
CAPACITY

➢ Can stabilize the ocean

temperature thus, enable aquatic
organisms to survive
➢ Act as heat buffer
thus, prevent large
fluctuation in body
temperature of
terrestrial organisms
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4. HIGH LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION

Definition of high latent heat of

vaporization :

Large @ high amount of heat energy

that must be absorbed for 1 gram of
water molecule to change from liquid
water into water vapour
Latent heat of vaporization for
water = 580 cal/g
4. HIGH LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION

Large amount of heat energy is absorbed

to break ALL hydrogen bonds between
water molecules in order to change liquid
water into water vapour
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF
WATER HAS HIGH LATENT HEAT OF
VAPORIZATION

▪ Give the cooling effects during :

• evaporation of sweat on skin of human

• transpiration from leaves of plants

• or panting in animals
e.g. dog
➢ prevent terrestrial organisms
from overheating
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 QUESTIONS

Why must water absorb relatively large quantity

of heat in order to change its temperature?

State ONE property of water based on question

above.
 COHESIVE AND ADHESIVE FORCE

▪ Definition of cohesive force:

Force of attraction between the
same molecules
⮚ e.g. between water molecules
▪ Definition of adhesive force:
Force of attraction between
different molecules
⮚ e.g. between water molecules
and wall of xylem vessels
 5. HIGH SURFACE TENSION
Definition of high surface tension :

Is a measure of how hard it is to break

the surface of a liquid

➢ Surface tension is related to

cohesive forces between ater
molecules
 5. HIGH SURFACE TENSION
Water molecules on the surface is bonded by
hydrogen bonds with water molecules at the
below to form a ‘skin like’ layer at the surface of
water
 5. HIGH SURFACE TENSION
Example: a drop of water

At the interface between water and air is an

ordered arrangement of water molecules,
hydrogen-bonded to one another and to
the water below. This give water a high
surface tension.
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF HIGH
SURFACE TENSION
The high surface tension of water, resulting
from collective strength of hydrogen bonds,
allows insects to walk on the water surface.

e.g.
water skater/
raft spider

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 6. MAXIMUM DENSITY AT 4°C
▪ at 0°C, liquid water transforms into ice (solid)
▪ ice is less dense than liquid water at 4 ⁰C

▪ Ice floats in liquid water because hydrogen

bond keeps the molecule far enough apart,
making ice less dense.

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• Water reaches its greatest density at 4⁰C
• At temp above 4⁰C, water behave like other liquid, expanding
as it warms and contracting as it cools
• As temp falls from 4⁰C to 0⁰C, water begin to freeze
• At 0 ⁰C, the molecules become locked into crystalline lattice.
 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF
MAXIMUM DENSITY AT 4°C

As ice floats, it acts as insulator to prevent ponds, lakes,

oceans from freezing thus, allow aquatic organisms to
survive under the floating ice.
 Test your knowledge….

How does aquatic life survive in

extremely cold conditions ?
 REFERENCE BOOK :

Campbell, N. A. & Reece, J.B. (2016). Biology

(11th ed.) (pp.95-100). Pearson, Benjamin
Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.