The most common compound: Water

          Physically and in its pure form, water is a transparent liquid which is tasteless, odourless and colourless. It is found in lakes,streams, oceans river, rain etc. It constitutes about 70-80% of the weight of most cells. As a chemical compound, water exist as a molecule containing one oxygen atom covalently bonded to two hydrogen atoms. Virtual water is used in the production of goods, safe drinking water serves humans for drinking and other life forms services. It provides no calories/organic nutrients but it satisfy body needs like thirst. Its main function in the body is that it is used as a solvent for biochemical reactions and help to dissolve wide varieties of food and chemical compounds.
          Some of the properties that make water a good solvent are;
     1) The polar nature: water dissolves molecules with polar bond easily. These molecules can form hydrogen bonds with water and are called Hydrophilic molecules (water loving molecules). Examples include Amines, alkanol.

     2) The ability of water to form hydrogen bonds with itself and other molecules

     3) Hydrophobic interactions: Water favours hydrophobic(water hating) interactions and provides a basis for metabolism of insoluble substances.

          Substances that conduct electricity when they dissociate in water into free ions are called Electrolytes. In biological system, the hydrogen bonding in water helps maintain the structure of some chemical compounds such as DNA, purine residue etc.

What other ways do water serve in chemical processes? How do these processes directly or indirectly relate to human body metabolism? In what way does the uniqueness of water beat your imagination? Let us know through comment button below; thank you