Water is a tasteless polar inorganic compound that is odorless and colorless at room temperatures. This compound is described as a solvent of life and also as universal. Water is an abundant substance on earth. Research has documented that water is the main constituent of earth's oceans, lakes and comprises of the main fluid in the bodies of all living organisms. It forms 71% of the earth's surface ( Morawietz et al, 2016 ).
Importance of water
According to Molyneux (2018 ), water is exceedingly vital to all forms of life including the world's economy. In agriculture, water is very essential for the growth and development of all vegetation, as it gives life to all vegetation. Besides, water is very important in fish farming since water bodies form the major sources of food all over the world. Water is equally important means of transport for large and bulk goods, which have to be imported and exported. Mostly, the sea and oceans are used as a means of transport ( Molyneux, 2018 ). Such bulk commodities include oil and natural gas. In industries and homes, water is very essential since it is useful for heating and cooling purposes of machines. Also, water forms part of leisure and entertainment in the modern world. It is used in swimming, surfing, sport fishing, diving and pleasure boating for leisure and fun.
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Properties of water.
From a biological perspective, water is important for numerous reasons as compared to other liquids ( Morawietz et al, 2016 ). First, water is considered a metabolite. This property enables metabolism to take place inside cells. For instance, chemical reactions involving hydrolysis and condensation involve addition and removal of water. Water is also important for photosynthesis (light-dependent reactions). Another property is water is solvent in nature. This means that numerous inorganic and biological chemicals are soluble in water and can react and be transported within cells as well as in lab test tubes with other chemicals. Also, the high heat capacity of water makes it important to store heat energy and stabilize temperatures in water bodies and bodies of animals.
References
Morawietz, T., Singraber, A., Dellago, C., & Behler, J. (2016). How van der Waals interactions determine the unique properties of water. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 113 (30), 8368-8373.
Molyneux, P. (2018). Water-Soluble Synthetic Polymers: Volume II: Properties and Behavior . CRC press.
