UBM1302

Fundamentals of Biochemistry
Body response to injury to restore normal
structure and function

Water
Prepared by
Dr. R. Subashini

1
 Lecture Objectives

 Know general properties of water and its functions.

 Know the structure of water
 Know the physical and chemical properties of
water
 Know biomedical importance of water

2 v 1.1
 Introduction

• 60 to 70% -body weight

• Distributed - body, being closely associated with
distribution of electrolytes in the body.
• Distributed by two main compartments
– Intracellular – fluid inside the cells
– Extracellular – fluid outside the cells (plasma and
interstitial fluid)

3 v 1.1
 Functions

– Solvent
– Carrier of nutritive elements to tissues and removes waste
materials from tissues
– Regulator - body temperature
– Solvent for electrolytes.
– Regulate electrolyte balance of the body
– Maintains healthy equilibrium of osmotic pressure exerted
by the solutes dissolved in water

4 v 1.1
 Structure of water

• Slightly skewed tetrahedral molecule

• Three dimensional structure – irregular tetrahedron with

Oxygen at its centre

• The two bonds with hydrogen are directed towards two

corners of the tetrahedron

• Electrons occupy the two remaining corners.

• Angle between 2 hydrogen atoms – 105 degrees which is

slightly less than the tetrahedron angle (109.5), so it is
slightly skewed tetrahedron.

5 • The intra-atomic distance

v 1.1
is 0.956A (H-O).
 Water structure along with hydrogen bonds

6 v 1.1
 Water molecules forms Dipoles

• Skewed structure, electrical charge is not uniformly

distributed.
• In the oxygen side is relatively rich in electrons, while on
the other side form a local positive charge.
• The term dipole denotes molecules such as water have
electrical charge (electrons) unequally distributed about
their structure.
• Like water ammonia, alcohols, phospholipids, amino acids,
and nucleic acids forms dipoles.

7 v 1.1
 • Water as a Universal Solvent
– Capacity to solubilize a large number of organic and inorganic
compounds.
– OH, NH2, COOH and C=O groups are highly soluble in water
because of their ability to form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen
atom.
– Strong dielectric properties and for this reason it is a good
solvent for salts dissociable into ions.

8 v 1.1
 • Ionization of water
– Water has the ability to ionize or undergo dissociation.
– Hydrogen atom of one water molecule dissociates then
binds to neighboring water molecule to form positively
charged hydronium ion, leaving OH-.

9 v 1.1
 Colligative properties

• The colligative properties of solutions consist of freezing point

depression, boiling point elevation, vapor pressure
lowering and osmotic pressure.

10 v 1.1
 Electrolytic property

• Water behaves as a weak electrolyte and therefore helps in the

dissociation of other substances which are dissolved in it.
• For example, acetic acid in dilute forms undergoes
dissociation, while in concentrated form it is undissociated.

11 v 1.1
 Cohesion
• Hydrogen bonds hold the substance together, a phenomenon called
cohesion
• Cohesion is responsible for the transport of the water in plants
• Cohesion among water molecules plays a key role in the transport of
water against gravity in plants

Surface tension
a measure of the force necessary to stretch or break the surface of a
liquid, is related to cohesion.
– Water has a greater surface tension than most other liquids
because hydrogen bonds among surface water molecules resist
stretching or breaking the surface.
– Water behaves as if covered by an invisible film.
– Some animals can stand, walk, or run on water without breaking
the surface.

12 v 1.1
 Moderates Temperatures on Earth

• Water stabilizes air temperatures by absorbing heat from

warmer air and releasing heat to cooler air.
• Water can absorb or release relatively large amounts of heat
with only a slight change in its own temperature

13 v 1.1
 Physical properties

• High latent heat or fusion: Organisms contain a good amount of

water in their body and when it evaporates, it provides cooling
capacity to regulate body temperature.
• High heat capacity: Water gets heated up very slowly and it loses
heat very slowly. This capacity help the cell to protect itself from
thermal destruction, thermal adjustments.
• High dielectric constant: The ability of water to behave as a good
solvent is based on its dielectric constant. Hydrogen is positively
charged and oxygen is negatively charged, hence water molecule
shows a tendency to orient itself.
• High Boiling point: water possess a high boiling point and for this
reason it does not form vapour at ordinary temperatures. Boiling
reduces the tendency of formation of groups of water molecules,
hence at the boiling point, water is composed of independent
molecules.

14 v 1.1
 Celsius Scale at Sea Level

• Water boils - 100oC

• Human body temperature - 37oC
• Room temperature - 23oC
• Water freezes - 0oC

15 v 1.1
 Density of Water

• Most dense at 4oC

• Contracts until 4oC
• Expands from 4oC to 0oC
1. When water reaches 0oC, water becomes locked into a
crystalline lattice with each molecule bonded to the
maximum of four partners.
2. As ice starts to melt, some of the hydrogen bonds break and
some water molecules can slip closer together.
3. Ice is about 10% less dense than water at 4oC.

16 v 1.1
17 v 1.1
 Biomedical Importance

1. Water is essential constituent of all forms of life.

2. Water is present in every cell. It is the medium in which
all cellular events occurs.
3. It is required for enzyme action and for the transport of
solutes in the body.
4. Water aids the folding of biomolecules like proteins,
nucleic acids etc.

18 v 1.1
 5. Semi-fluid nature of body is due to water.
6. Water regulates body temperature.
7. Water accelerates biochemical reactions by
providing ions.
8. Water content in the body alters in dehydration
and edema.

19
 Questions
• What is the structure and properties of water?
• What are the 10 properties of water?
• How is the structure of water important for giving water
the properties?
• What are the 5 main properties of water?
• What is water physical properties?
• What property of water is the most important?
• What are the 4 forms of water?
• What makes water unique?
• What is the physical and chemical properties of water?
• Why is water's density unique?
20 v 1.1