Question
Question: Is water made of cells?...
Is water made of cells?
Solution
Water is considered as the most basic and abundant chemical present in living things. Mostly, all chemical reactions occur in water or solution containing water. Some organisms are able to live in a desiccated and dormant state for longer periods of time, but they need water to come back to an active state. Water is present both outside and inside the cells of living organisms. Thus, water is the main constituent in building a cell.
Complete answer:
Everything is made up of atoms, which is the smallest particle of an element like hydrogen, nitrogen or oxygen. Atoms join together forming molecules. One water molecule possesses three atoms: two hydrogen atoms H and one oxygen atom O. Hence, water is represented as H2O. A molecule of pure water is composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom. Billions of water molecules are present in a single drop of water.
Water is not made up of cells, but cells are composed and made up of water. In a mammalian body, 70% weight is constituted by water. 46%is present inside the cells and 23% is present outside the cells in the form of blood, plasma and other bodily fluids.
With the aid of water and enzymes via hydrolysis, larger carbohydrates like starch can be divided into formation of smaller carbohydrates like glucose. Fats can be split into fatty acid molecules and glycerol. Proteins can be divided into amino acids, which are building blocks.
In the same way, removal of water will lead to formation of larger molecules from smaller ones. This is the condensation process, where two or more molecules are joined together forming one single molecule. If the water is removed at the molecular level, glucose can form complex carbohydrates like starch. Glycerol and amino acids are able to form fats and proteins through water and enzymes.
Note:
With the assistance of enzymes, the removal and addition of water molecules enable the construction and destruction of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Water acts as a universal solvent and provides structure to the cell. Since water is the integral part of life, if living things cease to drink water, they will automatically die after some days as dehydration leads to system dysfunction and multiorgan failure.