What is so special about water? Sure, it’s essential for most of the “life” we are aware of, but that’s as narrow minded as saying Well if they don’t speak English, it must not be intelligent.Elements and life are a fair bit more complex than words and languages.
Sometimes there’s a good reason for conventional wisdom. If there were all sorts of avenues for life, we should expect to see other signs of it out there. I myself imagine very simple metabolic life probably occurs relatively easily, but complex life, eukaryotic cells, and complex creatures, that’s much, much, much, much more challenging because of all the conditions and timing that must align just right.
Hope you don’t mind me sharing this little primer on importance of water to life.
Biological Roles of Water: Why is water necessary for life?
SEPTEMBER 26, 2019, by Molly Sargen
The Molecular Make-up of Water
Many of water’s roles in supporting life are due to its molecular structure and a few special properties. …Water is the “Universal Solvent”
This is because of the phenomenon wherein opposite charges attract one another: because each individual water molecule has both a negative portion and a positive portion, each side is attracted to molecules of the opposite charge. This attraction allows water to form relatively strong connections, called bonds, with other polar molecules around it, including other water molecules. … Importantly, this bonding makes water molecules stick together in a property called cohesion.Furthermore, since most biological molecules have some electrical asymmetry, they too are polar and water molecules can form bonds with and surround both their positive and negative regions. …
Water Supports Cellular Structure
Water also has an important structural role in biology. …Water also contributes to the formation of membranes surrounding cells. …
In addition to influencing the overall shape of cells, water also impacts some fundamental components of every cell: DNA and proteins. … Water drives the folding of amino acid chains as different types of amino acids seek and avoid interacting with water. …
Chemical Reactions of Water
Water is directly involved in many chemical reactions to build and break down important components of the cell. …Additionally, water buffers cells from the dangerous effects of acids and bases. …
In conclusion, water is vital for all life. Its versatility and adaptability help perform important chemical reactions. Its simple molecular structure helps maintain important shapes for cells’ inner components and outer membrane. No other molecule matches water when it comes to unique propertiesthat support life. Excitingly, researchers continue to establish new properties of water such as additional effects of its asymmetrical structure. Scientists have yet to determine the physiological impacts of these properties. It’s amazing how a simple molecule is universally important for organisms with diverse needs.
By Molly Sargen is a first-year PhD Student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard Medical School.