Question

Why do organisms require water?

Answer 1

Hint: All living organisms require water for their survival. The way water is used can be categorized into four types: as a solvent, as a temperature buffer, as a metabolite and as a living environment.

Complete Complete step-by-step answer:
The various ways, water is required for organisms are:

Water as a solvent: Water attracts both positive and negative ions, because of the nature of chemical bonds in water. Thus, the positive ions are attracted to the oxygen in water, while negative ions are attracted to the hydrogen. This allows water to dissolve compounds important for survival such as glucose gleaned from ingesting food.

Water as Temperature Buffer: Temperature regulation is vital for chemical reactions important to cellular activity such as cellular respiration. Enzymes are proteins that act as a catalyst to start chemical reactions that are heat sensitive and will operate only at specific temperatures.

Water as a metabolite: The sum total of chemical reactions within an organism is called metabolism. Water is a metabolite, or a chemical involved in reactions. In this way, it is necessary for the continued survival of plants or animals.

Water as a living environment: Water based organisms such as fish require water to breathe directly breathing the oxygen dissolved in water. Without a water supply, they could not access oxygen and would suffocate.

Note: Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it takes a lot of heat to raise its temperature. In animals, water also aids in respiration.