Chemistry assignment - water

[Weyoun]

hi all

I have an assignment for chemistry due in 2 days time, and was wondering if you guys could lend me a bit of a hand... I have done all but ~3 questions from 12, and just need a nudge in the right direction Ok here goes...

2. Water is contained within living cells. What is its role in metabolism, as a solvent and in the processes of diffusion and osmosis? (Include definitions of both)

3. Water resists temperature extremes much more than terrestrial habitats. Why? Look at today?s newspaper or the web (www.epa.gov.au/beach/beachupd.asp) and see if you can see the difference in the water and land temperatures for a number of different areas.

What is the effect of icebergs on the environment? What is the effect on living organisms of cold water?

ok, in number 3, I really don't have an idea as to what he's really asking... I'll talk to him tomorrow about it, but if I can get started on it tonight, that would be great With regard to q2, I have included definitions of osmosis and diffusion, but I cannot find water's role in metabolism... None of our core texts mention this, and trying to get information from the net is like trying to get blood from a stone... The last question i mentioned is the last part of the one concerning icebergs... My chem teacher gave quite a good answer to the last part of this question, but being the pedantic/erratic jester that he is, I couldn't jot it down in my notes...

If anyone could give me a push in the right direction, that'd be great

 

[Pretender]

this sounds more like biology imho.

it's 4:45 where I am, so I'm too tired to be any help. I was expecting chem, which I might've been better at.

I'll take a stab tho:



<< What is the effect of icebergs on the environment? What is the effect on living organisms of cold water? >>

Uh, living organisms create heat, so the water becomes hotter?

 

[Weyoun]

yeah, the second half of our research task was orriented more to the biological side of water solubility, something that i'm not so good at... I have answered all of the questions from section 1, but these few are really irritating me :/

Thankyou anyway Pretender Your help is much appreciated

 

[Weyoun]

dp

 

[bolomite]

For the first part of #3: Water has an unusually high heat capacity. It can absorb lots of heat without a large temperature change or physical change. This is why water takes a while to boil -- it traps heat very well.

 

[Moonbeam]

What is being refered to in 3 is the fact that water has a what? High? specific heat. That means that it takes lots of heat to heat water up and it gives lots of heat off when cooling. That means that it's much easier for the land to heat up in the day and cool off at night. Water worlds are subjected to much smaller temperature swings if there's lots of water. Costal areas are mild in climate because in summer water is relatively cool and relatively warm in winter. Not sure what he wants on ice, but it floats which keeps the oceans from freezing. Water contracts to 4 degrees and then expands. That means that the bottom of lakes dont freeze allowing fish to survive and the same in the sea. Stuff lives under the ice. Cold water is cold so metabolic rates of cold blooded animals slow in cold water.

 

[Weyoun]

Thanks for the excellent response guys! Should I mention hydrogen bonding and the dipole-dipole forces when talking about water's unusual properties?

 

[Handle]

I don't know this for sure, but from my rudimentary knowledge of chemistry, icebergs would act as a stabilizing force on the temperature of a region with floating icebergs.

Why? In addition to water's high specific heat capacity, there is also a large amount of heat associated with its changes in state (liquid water --> vapor or liquid water --> ice or ice --> liquid water, etc). The amount of heat released when x amount of water changes into ice (or the amount of heat required to change x amount of ice into water) is referred to as its heat of fusion.

So what happens when the ambient temperature fluctuates between -10 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius. Well, when the temperature reaches -10 degrees Celsius, water begins to freeze... and when water freezes, heat is released. Therefore, as the iceberg grows, the amount of kinetic energy in the environment will increase. Then, when it reaches 10 degrees Celsius, the iceberg melts (this requires energy) and the ambient temperature goes down.

Therefore the living organisms in the area would not have to battle large swings in temperature.

 

[Recneps]

<<2. Water is contained within living cells. What is its role in metabolism, as a solvent and in the processes of diffusion and osmosis? (Include definitions of both)>>

Other then being a sovent for most of the steps in metabolism here are two key roles it plays. 1. In photosynthesis: There are two parts photosynthesis system one (PSI) and PSII. PSI evolved before PSII and has can create ATP in without using PSII in a circlur path way. PSII is involived in the non-cyclic path way and it gives electrons to PSI which with reduce(might be oxidased never could get those terms right)NADPH to NADPH+H+ which is used in some other cylec which I forgot the name of. The electrons which are used in the rediction of NADPH are released from water being broken down by MN. With out those electron being released plants could make very little energy from photosynthesis. 2. The other time water is need is in resperation. Oxygen picks up electrons that went down the electron transport chain. When O2 gets these electrons it changes into water which can leave the mitochondria.

 

[TripleJ]

Yep, good words there Recneps. I loved Biology class.

And about those icebergs, I can't remember too much on it, but I think they are quite important in redistrabuting energy around the planet. Hmmm, can't remember where I heard that, might come to me soon...

 

[GasX]

2. Water is contained within living cells. What is its role in metabolism, as a solvent and in the processes of diffusion and osmosis? (Include definitions of both)

Water is not involved directly in ANY chemical reactions in the body. It's purpose is to act as a medium (or sovent as stated in the question) for everything to occur.


3. Water resists temperature extremes much more than terrestrial habitats. Why? Look at today?s newspaper or the web (www.epa.gov.au/beach/beachupd.asp) and see if you can see the difference in the water and land temperatures for a number of different areas.

Most bodies of water act as large heatsinks.

What is the effect of icebergs on the environment? What is the effect on living organisms of cold water?

At the macro level - zilch

At the micro level - mobile bases for Polar bears in the northern hemispheres. Also, much algae grows on icebergs and under pack ice. Krill feed on algae and krill are basically the basic of the aquatic food chain.

ok, in number 3, I really don't have an idea as to what he's really asking... I'll talk to him tomorrow about it, but if I can get started on it tonight, that would be great With regard to q2, I have included definitions of osmosis and diffusion, but I cannot find water's role in metabolism... None of our core texts mention this, and trying to get information from the net is like trying to get blood from a stone... The last question i mentioned is the last part of the one concerning icebergs... My chem teacher gave quite a good answer to the last part of this question, but being the pedantic/erratic jester that he is, I couldn't jot it down in my notes...

If anyone could give me a push in the right direction, that'd be great [/i] >>

 

[Recneps]

<<Water is not involved directly in ANY chemical reactions in the body. It's purpose is to act as a medium (or sovent as stated in the question) for everything to occur.>>

Yes it is. There are many reactions were water is a product or reactent or both in some case. I'm just naming a few off the top of my head, I would surrgest that you look up what I'm talking about your self in high grade BIOLOGY text book.

1. The formation of HCl acid found in stomach
2. The formation of Base I forgot the name in pancrease
3. When 1 and 2 mix in doudume ( Acid + base = Water and salt)
4. Photosynthesis
5. Water is released when fattes are broken down (Why camals have humps of fat)
6. Resperation
7. Photo-resperation (I'm not 100% sure on this one)
8. The formation/break down of higher levels sugar compounds (Strachs,amalose, glocuse, fructose, ect.) all release/absorb water.
9. The formation of acid in veins to carry C02 (simmaler procces as number 1 and 2)
10. I'm sure there are more I just can't think of any right now.



trying to get information from the net is like trying to get blood from a stone...

And like tring to teach a stone. Just wondering what grade/class is this for.

 

[Moonbeam]

We breath oxygen to metabolize sugar which produces CO2 ans H2O.

 

[Mday]

<< What is the effect of icebergs on the environment? What is the effect on living organisms of cold water? >>



needless to say they provide some &quot;land&quot; for certain marine (seals) animals to rest on, other wise they would always be in the water. that's all i could think of. sometimes the icebergs kill the animals... huge ones sometimes collide killing some.

i am going to have to assume the questions are independent.

organisms living in cold water depend on the water. it's a similar ecosystem to other marine ecosystems where you have phytoplankton and kelp as the plants which support all life, and then small and larger animal species until the mammals (seals, penguin) which take over. not to mention whales. of course these animals are especially adapted for the cold and wet of ice water =P through the use of dark colored appearances to absorb sunlight (though certain animals are white for camouflage) and blubber. lots and lots of blubber.

icebergs and ice flows (lots of icebergs) provide a means to get out of the water for some of them.

though lone icebergs usually float away and melt...

--

#3 has to do with the specific heat. it absorbs less of the light turning it into heat than the land. so during summer, the water is much cooler until around august or september. then during the winter the water is hotter, until like february or march. also consider &quot;lake effect&quot; weather for areas around water vs areas further inland of a small region.

 

[AudiPorsche]

Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a semi permible membrane.

 

[Recneps]

<<We breath oxygen to metabolize sugar which produces CO2 ans H2O. >>

Moonbeam it is more like We breath oxygen to metabolize sugar after it has past throw about 40 intermedates which produces C02, H20, and ATP.

And mayday.
<<phytoplankton and kelp as the plants which support all life, >>

Those are not in the plant kingdom. Kelp is an algea because it lacks roots, leaves, and vascular networks, and phytoplankton is in the protiesta kingdom.